Which countries honoured PM Modi? Here's a timeline of his foreign state awards

Foreign state honours are among the highest decorations a country can confer on a visiting head of state or government. While they are often presented during official visits, each award has its own history, significance and list of past recipients.

Since 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has received 34 such honours from countries across Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, the highest number for any Indian Prime Minister. Some of these awards date back centuries, while others are relatively recent additions to their country's honours system.

LIST OF INTERNATIONAL AWARDS RECEIVED BY PM MODI

Here's a country-wise snapshot showing when PM Modi received these honours, when they were instituted and who else has received them:

WHY SOME OF THESE AWARDS STAND OUT

Most of the honours listed above are long-established state decorations that have been awarded for decades to visiting presidents, prime ministers and monarchs.

Many have previously gone to leaders such as Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, Queen Elizabeth II, Xi Jinping and Winston Churchill, reflecting their status as the highest civilian or state honours of their respective countries.

A few, however, are unusual. Bhutan's Order of the Druk Gyalpo had rarely been awarded outside the royal family before PM Modi became the first foreign government leader to receive it in 2021.

More recently, Israel's Medal of the Knesset and Seychelles' Guardian of the Blue Horizon were both created shortly before Modi's visits in 2026, making him their inaugural recipient. Together, these honours illustrate how different countries recognise diplomatic ties through their own traditions and state awards.