Overview
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who posted on X on Friday, called the claim of a tax on overseas trips "totally false" and said there was "not an iota of truth."
- Minutes after his post, CNBC-TV18 deleted its report and apologized, saying the story was not accurate.
- The channel had reported a one-year cess on foreign travel with proceeds kept by the Centre and described it as a discussion at the "highest levels," publishing the claim without a Finance Ministry response.
- Government sources and commentators then challenged the idea’s mechanics, asking how a tax would be collected on tickets bought on foreign sites, spending on cards abroad, or cross-border land travel.
- The episode comes after Modi urged voluntary cutbacks to save foreign exchange during the West Asia energy crisis, but there is no confirmed plan to levy a travel charge and the clarification signals stability for travelers, airlines, and tourism firms.