The Indian government has disclosed that over ₹22 crore was spent on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States in June 2023. The information was shared in Parliament by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, March 20.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge had sought details on the total expenditure incurred by Indian embassies for the prime minister’s foreign visits over the past three years. He also requested a breakdown of expenses under major categories such as hotel arrangements, community receptions, transport, and other miscellaneous costs.
In his written reply, Margherita provided a tabulated account of the costs associated with the prime minister’s overseas visits in 2022, 2023, and 2024. According to the data, ₹22,89,68,509 was spent on Modi’s trip to the US in June 2023, while his visit to the same country in September 2024 cost ₹15,33,76,348.
The records covered more than 38 foreign trips, beginning with a visit to Germany in May 2022 and concluding with a trip to Kuwait in December 2024. Other notable expenditures included ₹17,19,33,356 for the prime minister’s visit to Japan in May 2023 and ₹80,01,483 for his trip to Nepal in May 2022.
The minister also provided comparative figures for foreign visits made by previous prime ministers before 2014. “For reference purpose, expenditure on Prime Minister’s foreign visits earlier were ₹10,74,27,363 (USA, 2011), ₹9,95,76,890 (Russia, 2013), ₹8,33,49,463 (France, 2011), and ₹6,02,23,484 (Germany, 2013). These figures show actual expenditure without adjusting for inflation or currency fluctuations,” he stated.
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AloJapan.com