{
  "id": 235243,
  "title": "Government spent ₹557.51 crore in PM Modi’s 77 foreign visits: MEA in Rajya Sabha",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/06/government-spent-557-51-crore-in-pm-modis-77-foreign-visits-mea-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-06T20:39:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/government-spent-55751-crore-in-pm-modis-77-foreign-visits-mea-in-rajya-sabha/article71314805.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Between 2021 and July 2026, the Indian government allocated approximately ₹557.51 crore for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 77 foreign visits, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the Rajya Sabha. At a question posed by CPI(M) member V. Sivadasan, Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita disclosed that Mr. Modi visited 77 countries during this period, resulting in various Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and international partnerships. The response detailed several visits, including the February 25-26 Israel visit that incurred a spending of ₹11.92 crore, the May 15-20 France and Slovak Republic visit costing ₹4.77 crore, and the June 27-29 Seychelles visit with a budget of ₹8.22 crore. Additionally, the government reported that 316 MoUs were signed with various countries during this time, contributing to a total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow of $381.8 billion. The response also highlighted that out of the 316 MoUs, 44 were signed with the UAE, 33 with France, 16 with Israel, and 8 with the U.S. Dr. Sivadasan criticized the government's approach, arguing that the success of a foreign visit should be measured by tangible outcomes such as completed projects, secured investments, job creation, and the enhancement of India's international standing, rather than the number of countries visited or MoUs signed.",
  "summary": "These visits and subsequent MoUs helped in international partnerships 'across the sectors', says govt.",
  "key_points": [
    "Government spent ₹557.51 crore on PM Modi's 77 foreign visits.",
    "77 countries visited by PM Modi between 2021 and July 2026.",
    "44 MoUs signed with UAE, 33 with France, 16 with Israel, 8 with U.S."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The government's disclosure of spending on Prime Minister Modi's foreign visits shifts the focus to evaluating the tangible outcomes of these trips, amid criticism that current metrics are insufficient.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}