The Ministry of Tourism India aims to position itself as a global leader in Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism. This is facilitated by construction of state-of-the-art exhibition and conference complexes across cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Jaipur, among others. The MICE sector is noted for its rapid growth within India's larger tourism industry and is seen as a strategic asset for expanding economic opportunities.
India’s improved infrastructure, particularly since 2014 with the expansion of roads, railways, airports, etc., has bolstered hosting capabilities for large-scale events. This combined with recent global recognition following India's association with the G20 nations showcases its potential to attract international business events and contribute significantly to economic growth.
With advancements in infrastructure, exhibitions are growing at a rate faster than any other industry post-Covid19. Estimates indicate contributions of Rs 50,000 crores to the Indian economy from the exhibition sector and an additional Rs 300,000 crores generated by business through these events.
The Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA) is a key stakeholder in this growth, organizing seminars for discussions on trends shaping the industry's future. Plans are proposed for further development of event facilities, possibly by designating October 1 as National MICE Day to boost industry morale.
In summary, India seeks to establish itself as a global hub for business tourism emphasizing its potential for enhancing both economic output and employment opportunities within the hospitality industry sectors related to accommodation, food and beverage, transportation, tourism, and entertainment.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Tourism India: A government department responsible for promoting tourism in India.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: Union minister of Culture and Tourism, holding a significant position in policy-making related to the national cultural heritage and tourism development.
Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) capital of the world: A description indicating a future goal for India's tourism industry focus, aiming to establish itself as a global hub for business events.
Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA): An apex national body representing the exhibition industry in India, organizing conferences and serving as a platform for knowledge exchange within the sector.
Twoday Seminar on India: The land of Exponential Growth: A seminar or event organized by the IEIA discussing India's growth potential as an MICE destination.
G20 nations: International grouping of countries that have committed to work together economically and address global issues, in which India has hosted a meeting leading to increased international attention towards its capabilities.
National MICE Day: A proposed day to be officially recognized by the government, aiming to boost the industry related to Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions in India.
Ministry of Tourism
India all set to emerge as Meetings, Incentives,
Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) capital of the
world- Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
About 700 leading industry players and decision
maker from the exhibition sector attend
Posted On: 02 MAY 2025 4:19PM by PIB Delhi
With the construction of the state-of-the art exhibition and conference complexes in the country, India is all
set to become MICE ((Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) capital of the world.
“The new segments of tourism are getting developed, in which MICE tourism is the most important and is the
fastest growing segment in the country. The exhibition and conference infrastructure we see across the nation
including Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Jaipur and even small cities post G20 meet indicates that
India is standing at the threshold of strong possibilities for this sector,” said Gajendra Singh Shekhawat,
Union minister of Culture and Tourism, while inaugurating a Two-day Seminar on India: The land of
Exponential Growth organised by the Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA) , the apex national body
of exhibition industry in the country.“The government and the private exhibition industry has to work together to make India a centre of MICE
tourism. Several events which are happening globally can be calendarized and brought here in India. Besides
being a destination India, the country is also becoming a big Exhibition and conference hub with planned
expansion in road, aviation and railway sectors along with expansion of the conference and exhibition sector,
the country has a great future for economic growth,” Shekhawat said.
"After 2014, India has shown a tremendous growth curve in infrastructure given the boom in infrastructure, be
it the construction of roads over 1,50,000 km, new railway stations, semi high-speed trains, inland waterways
and more than 150 operational airports. All of these have contributed to India's prowess with regards to the
MICE events (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions). The confidence also built following
India's hosting of G20 nations, the entire world is looking at India in awe and curiosity. In times to come,
India will emerge as the MICE capital of the world." Said Mr Shekhawat.“The IEIA Open Seminar and Exhibition Services Expo is the annual international conclave of the Indian
Exhibition Industry attended by the captains of the industry from all regions of the country and overseas. The
event acts as one of its kind meaningful platforms for business networking, knowledge exchange, and
discussions on the emerging trends shaping our industry's future.” Said Mr Sooraj Dhawan, President. Indian
Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA).
th
“The 14 edition, the IEIA Open Seminar is expected to attract over 700 leading industry players at decision
maker levels including leading Exhibition/ Event Organisers, heads of various trade bodies, sectoral
associations and key govt. bodies. India is the fastest growing exhibition market in the world and has grown at
40% post Covid. The Exhibition Industry’s contribution to the Indian economy is Rs. 50,000 crores. Business
generated through exhibitions is Rs. 300,000 crores.” Said Mr Dhawan.
“The Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE). refers to a specialized segment of the
tourism and hospitality industry focused on organizing and hosting business events. We urge the govt to
announce October 1 as the National MICE Day as further boosting the morale of the industry.” Said Mr
Dhawan.
MICE is also known as the event industry. Over the past decades, the MICE industry has been recognized as asignificant market segment and an important contributor to national economies. It not only gives a boost to the
economy in the form of income generation, but creates huge employment opportunities in related hospitality
services providing sectors like accommodation, food and beverage, convention services, transportation,
tourism and entertainment.
Those present on the occasion included Mr Premjeet Lal ED, ITPO, Mr Rakesh Kumar, MD, India Expo mart,
Mr Jagdish Patanakar Hon Secretary IEIA, and Mr Ravinder Sethi, vice president, IEIA
****
Sunil Kumar Tiwari
tourism4pib[at]gmail[dot]com
(Release ID: 2126161)