Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returned Tuesday morning from his first official visit to continental Africa, has now completed 24 international trips in a little over 25 months since he took charge in May 2014. He has been to 42 countries and stayed out of India for 113 days during this period, according to government data.

Modi has emerged the most widely-travelled PM compared to his predecessor Manmohan Singh’s first 25 months in both the United Progressive Alliance tenures. A B Vajpayee, who has been PM thrice, had travelled much less during the first 25 months of his full tenure ...