PM Modi denies foreign travel cess rumors

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 15 publicly denied reports that his government was considering a tax, cess or surcharge on foreign travel. In a post on X, Modi said there was “not an iota of truth” in the claim and added that there was “no question of putting such restrictions on foreign travel.” The denial came after CNBC-TV18 reported, citing sources, that the government was discussing a temporary levy on outbound travel. Minutes later, the broadcaster withdrew the story and said it was inaccurate. ### What exactly did Modi say? Narendra Modi wrote on May 15 that the report was “totally false” and said there was “no question of putting such restrictions on foreign travel.” He added that the government remained committed to improving “Ease of Doing Business” and “Ease of Living” for people. (indiatodayne.in) The wording mattered because the original claim had gone beyond a routine tax rumor. Multiple reports reproducing the now-withdrawn story said it described a possible cess, tax or surcharge on foreign travel that was allegedly under discussion at senior levels of government. (ndtv.com) ### Where did the rumor come from? CNBC-TV18 was identified by several outlets as the publisher of the original report. According to those accounts, the story said the government was considering a temporary levy on overseas travel, with no final decision taken. (moneycontrol.com) Moneycontrol, citing the same report, said the proposed levy would have flowed directly to the central government rather than the divisible tax pool shared with states. Other reports said the proposal was framed as a one-year measure tied to fiscal pressure from higher crude and import costs linked to conflict in West Asia. (moneycontrol.com) ### Did the government issue any formal notification or policy paper? The Press Information Bureau’s release archive for May 15 shows no press release announcing any tax, cess or surcharge on foreign travel. The Prime Minister’s Office website also did not show a policy document on such a measure in the material surfaced by public searches around the denial. (moneycontrol.com) That left Modi’s social-media post as the clearest official response on May 15. News reports that carried the denial treated the post itself as the government’s position. (pib.gov.in) ### What happened to the original report after Modi responded? CNBC-TV18 withdrew the story on May 15 after Modi’s post, according to multiple reports that reproduced the channel’s correction. The correction said: “Our story on government considering tax/cess on foreign travel is not accurate. We withdraw the story and regret the error.” (thehindu.com) Several outlets described Modi’s intervention as unusual because prime ministers do not often rebut individual media reports in direct terms on social media. Those descriptions came from the outlets themselves; Modi’s post did not address that point. (ndtv.com) ### Was there any broader policy backdrop to the claim? India’s 2025-26 budget speech, as published by the government, does not surface in public search results as containing a foreign-travel cess proposal. The speech emphasizes growth, investment and broader economic measures, but the material retrieved did not show any announced outbound-travel levy. (phoenix.indiablooms.com) The Prime Minister’s Office also maintains a public log of Modi’s own foreign visits, underscoring that international travel by Indian officials continues as a matter of routine public record. That page is unrelated to private leisure travel, but it is part of the official material available alongside the denial. (static.pib.gov.in) ### What should readers watch next? May 15 is the key date in this episode: Modi’s denial and CNBC-TV18’s withdrawal both happened that day. Any further change would most likely appear through a Finance Ministry statement, a Press Information Bureau release, or a cabinet-backed tax proposal rather than through anonymous-source reporting alone. (pib.gov.in) (pmindia.gov.in)