Indians's spending abroad keeps falling—how travel, investments are impacted
In May 2025, Indians spent $2.3 billion abroad, down from $2.5 billion in April.
This steady drop is mostly thanks to new government rules making it tougher to send money out of the country—think higher taxes on big transfers, stricter deadlines for using funds sent overseas, and tighter visa policies for students.
Numbers tell the story
Most ways people spend money abroad are seeing cuts. Investments in stocks and bonds nearly halved compared to last month, gifts and family remittances dropped too.
Even though travel spending nudged up a bit (from $1.3 billion to $1.4 billion), it's growing much slower than before.
What's the new rule?
The government is clearly watching cross-border payments more closely now, hoping to stop misuse and keep tabs on where money goes.
If you're planning to study or invest abroad—or just travel—it might be time to pay extra attention to the fine print before moving your money around.