Fewer foreign trips, bigger footprint

PM Modi embarked on 27 overseas visits in his 2nd term, each of them selected to maximise foreign policy outreach. Mobility pacts that opened the door for Indian skilled labour were among key successes,

- SUBHAYAN CHAKRABORTY

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently concluded a visit to the United seventh trip to the nation. However, it was his unexpected stopover in Qatar that stole the headlines, coming just days after the country released eight Indian Navy veterans, who were earlier facing the death penalty. This was Modi's probably last foreign visit in this term as prime minister.

As of February 2024, Modi has chalked up 76 foreign trips — surpassing his predecessor Manmohan Singh's tally of 73 international visits in his 10-year tenure. Yet, the PM has flown into foreign countries far less frequently in his second term, embarking on just 27 overseas visits against 49 in his first stint. Barring a short trip to Dhaka, his overseas itinerary was empty for 21 straight months during 2020 and 2021 (until September) amid the Covid pandemic.

Despite the reduced number of trips by Modi in his second term as PM, each had been carefully selected to maximise foreign policy outreach and access to international leaders, according to Rajiv Bhatia, a former ambassador and distinguished fellow at forcited Modi's attendance at the 15th BRICS Summit in South Africa and the East Asia Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, as key examples of the PM's strategic diplomacy. These events were held days before India hosted the G20 Leaders Summit, Bhatia noted.