In less than a decade, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has toured over 25 countries, mostly on official purpose with an objective to promote investments in the state. The Industries Department has no information on the MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) signed with promoters for investments in Kerala facilitated by these visits of Pinarayi Vijayan, according to a reply to Onmanorama's RTI query.

Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), 'the single point contact for facilitating and hand holding all investor-related activities in Kerala', responded that no EoIs (Expressions of Interest) were signed during the visits facilitated by the KSIDC. The reply also adds that the KSIDC was not directly involved in any of the EoIs signed during such visits by the Chief Minister. 

In May 2025, the Finance Department issued an order approving ₹3.56 crore to cover the expenditure incurred in connection with the foreign visits of the delegations led by the Chief Minister to various countries from 2018 to July 2023 and to regularise the actual expenditure incurred against the additional authorization. The state government has not furnished the actual expenditure, including break-ups of foreign visits. Even the latest Assembly query on March 3, 2025 remains unanswered. The government has however provided information on daily allowances and amount reimbursed without giving full details.

In the RTI application, Onmanorama sought information on the MoUs signed between 2016 and 2025 during the foreign trips of Pinarayi Vijayan, the investments made in Kerala as a result of foreign visits and the current status of projects. The Industries Department, referred the question to the KSIDC, saying that it has no information. Onmanorama sent a mail to the office of the Chief Minister seeking a comment for this article. The office didn't respond even after a fortnight. 

Analysis of government orders and Assembly records between 2016 and 2025 show that Pinarayi Vijayan had been to the UAE, the USA, the UK, Japan, South Korea, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, France, Bahrain and the Netherlands. Except for the US visits, CM's tours to other countries were official. Some visits were to inaugurate school building, attend meetings by non-resident Kerala organizations, expos, and launch KSFE pravasi chit and masala bond in London stock exchange. 

Records show that the trips focused on promoting investments featured lunch meetings, road shows and investment summits. In 2019, he attended a summit on investment possibilities in Geneva. In this visit, he was accompanied by wife, daughter  and grandson. In 2017, he went to Bahrain to strengthen deep relations as per invitation from Khalifa Bin Duraij Al-Khalifa, President, Court of crown prince and as per documents, investors expressed interest in agriculture, industry and IT in Kerala.

During the visit in 2022, Norwegian companies like Hydrogen Pro, Camby group and Orkla expressed interest in Kerala at the investment table and amount of ₹150 crore was promised by one company, shows Assembly document. It further said that Norwegian company Corvus energy expressed interest in electric battery production. Several companies agreed on discussions regarding investment in GIFT city. Hinduja group chairman Gopichand Hinduja assured investment in education, health, electric bus production, cyber, finance sectors during Pinarayi Vijayan's UK visit in 2022, the CM's reply in the Assembly on December 5, 2022 shows.

In 2019, he flew to Dubai to attend an interactive session convened by the Indian Business and Professional Council (IBPC) on October 4. The expense was borne by KSIDC and NORKA ROOTS and public sector undertakings. A delegation was led by Pinarayi Vijayan to Japan and Republic of Korea in 2019 to attract investments to Kerala, expansion of trade and tourism. Trade delegations accompanied this official team which was finalised by the industries department in consultation with Kerala chapters. The delegation members were allowed airfare, airport tax, hotel accommodation, communication devices, airport lounge access, daily allowance at $100 during the visit.

Excess baggage charges were claimed for carrying gifts and souvenirs, which were presented by the CM to dignitaries. A lunch investment meet worth ₹2 lakh was held at Indian embassy, Tokyo, and ₹13.65 lakh was spent on organising Kerala road show in Seoul to attract investments. Additional expenditure towards interpretation and printing were also met. Another roadshow at Busan and other expenses had cost the state ₹36 lakh.

The CM and wife went to the UAE from January 31, 2022, to February 7, 2022, by accepting an invitation from the Ministry of Economy to attend the World Expo. Documents show that during the Dubai visit in 2019, investments were promised in the production of aircraft spare parts and in the steel development institute. Besides, the government received a promise of $500 million worth investment.

The CM had told the Assembly and in press meets that Japan and Korea visits brought in investments worth over ₹300 crore and following the investor meet in Dubai, investments worth ₹170 crore were made in Kerala. The CM had also told the Assembly that several MoUs were signed during his visits.