In a bold move to position India as a leading global destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE), the Ministry of Tourism reaffirmed its commitment to transforming the country’s business events landscape at the South India Thought Leaders Conference (SITLC) in Chennai. Organized by the Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA) in collaboration with the Ministry, the conference spotlighted structured reforms, infrastructure investments, and collaborative strategies to boost India’s share in the USD 850 billion global MICE market—of which India currently holds only 5%.
Suman Billa, Additional Secretary and Director General, Ministry of Tourism, laid out a clear vision to elevate India’s global MICE standing. He announced plans to develop at least 10 Indian cities particularly in South India into world-class MICE hubs, using iconic venues like Bharat Mandapam, Yashobhoomi, and Jio World Centre as benchmarks. A key proposal includes establishing autonomous city-level convention promotion bureaus to manage and attract events locally, thereby creating growth across MSMEs, hospitality, and service sectors.
Tamil Nadu emerged as a focus area for MICE development, with Mr. T. Christuraj, Director of the Department of Tourism, highlighting untapped potential in cities such as Coimbatore, Madurai, and Salem. With excellent yet underutilized infrastructure, these cities represent opportunities for decentralizing tourism and economic benefits. Expanding MICE operations beyond Chennai would strengthen the state’s appeal to international and domestic event organizers.
IEIA presented insights showing that the global MICE industry is projected to exceed USD 1.4 trillion by 2030. The SITLC conference served as a collaborative platform where tourism officials from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands called for a unified national MICE brand, globally benchmarked infrastructure, and strategic alignment of India’s offerings with international event calendars.
The Ministry emphasized that India’s growing infrastructure in aviation, highways, and railways complements the country’s potential as a business event destination. With increasing support for public-private partnerships, strategic branding, and specialized city convention bureaus, India is poised to evolve from a traditional tourism hub into a premier MICE destination.
As policy frameworks strengthen and capacity-building efforts gain momentum, India’s vision to capture a significant share of the global MICE market appears well within reach.
