Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday rejected a media report on foreign travel restrictions.
In a rare development. Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself fact-checked a media report claiming that the government will soon impose a tax on foreign travel. A report by CNBC-TV18 claimed that the Modi government was discussing a proposal to levy a cess, tax, or surcharge on foreign travel.
Sharing the news report on his X handle, PM Modi called it “totally false.” The Prime Minister said that his government is committed to improving ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and ‘Ease of Living’ for Indians.
“This is totally false. Not an iota of truth in this. There is no question of putting such restrictions on foreign travel. We remain committed to improving ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and ‘Ease of Living’ for our people,” PM Modi wrote.
This is totally false.
Not an iota of truth in this.
There is no question of putting such restrictions on foreign travel.
We remain committed to improving ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and ‘Ease of Living’ for our people. https://t.co/9lxjbxz0nV
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 15, 2026
Media House Issues Statement:
Minutes after PM Modi’s rebuttal, the media house issued an apology and announced that it was retracting the report.
“Our story on government considering tax/cess on foreign travel is not accurate. We withdraw the story and regret the error,” the medai house posted on X.
What CNBC-TV18 report Claimed:
In a graphic posted on X, the media house claimed, “Proposal to levy cess/tax/surcharge on foreign travel being discussed at highest levels.” The media house, in the image also said that cess/tax/surcharge on foreign travel to flow directly to centre, not divisible pool. The proposed steps were aimed to mitigate higher crude & import costs, the report claimed, adding that the Finance Ministry did not respond to it, The post was later retracted.
PM Modi Appeals To Citizens To Save Fuel:
PM Modi on Sunday (May 10) urged citizens to adopt responsible lifestyle changes to help conserve fuel and foreign exchange reserves. Addressing a gathering in Hyderabad , the Prime Minister said patriotism today is not limited to sacrifices on the border but also includes responsible daily behaviour that supports the nation during economic uncertainty.
