Foreign presents: PM got Rs 9 lakh Rolex; Sonia Gandhi got Rs 7 lakh gold necklace

It is common protocol for foreign dignitaries to present and receive gifts from their visiting counterparts. And if you’ve ever wondered what Manmohan and Sonia and other Indian officials get on their visits overseas or when foreign dignitaries come calling, we have the answer.

The Ministry of External Affairs website recently released the list of gifts received by Indian political leaders from July 2013 to March 2014. Though most items are quite run-of-the-mill (plaques, carpets, bowls, tea sets) some items do stand out. In particular, some gifts given to Congress president Sonia Gandhi are definitely worth highlighting.

Among Gandhi’s assortment of gifts that include sarees and even quilts (yes, it can get quite cold in Delhi), are a Swiss-made Franck Muller wristwatch valued at Rs 6 lakh and a gold necklace worth over Rs 7 lakh.

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More interestingly, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seem to have outdone Congress president in the gifts department. Gifts presented to him include slightly more expensive items, including a Rolex wristwatch worth a jaw-dropping Rs 9 lakh. A similarly priced watch by Rolex was also received by vice president Hamid Ansari. The next most expensive gift received by Singh is a jewellery set worth Rs 1,20,000. According to the MEA website, Singh has decided to transfer the watch and jewellery set to the National Museum.

In addition, several dignitaries have received items that have no commercial value and have been listed as such. Items that are not retained by recipients are either transferred to the National Museum or stored in the MEA’s Toshkhana, the ministry’s warehouse for such items.

For full details of the gifts click here.