Inside India’s Events and Meetings Aspirations

India upped its convention center game for the G20 Summit last year. Now, it is trying to drum up the marketing for these spaces across the country. But is India really MICE ready?

India wants to feature among the world’s top destinations for meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE). Earlier this month, tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat called MICE the fastest-growing tourism segment in India and a key driver for the country’s economic growth.

According to Shekhawat, India’s MICE market generated $49.4 billion in revenue last year. That figure is expected to more than double to $103.7 billion by 2030. This growth, he said, will be driven by “recent developments in MICE-ready destinations coming up in cities like Varanasi, Khajuraho and Kochi.”

But while the government is bullish, event industry insiders say the ground reality is more complicated.

More Than Convention Centers: A successful MICE destination requires more than just a convention center, Ramanpreet Singh, vice president of growth and strategy at events management company SKIL told Skift. “It is about building a holistic ecosystem through air connectivity, multiple high-quality hotel options, efficient ground logistics, safety and security, digital readiness and above all, ease of doing business."

Singh added that simple permissions, proactive local authorities, and support from the community are just as crucial as physical infrastructure.

Samit Garg, president of the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) and co-founder of E-Factor Experiences, agreed. For him, destinations need to be appealing on multiple levels. "Culture, sightseeing, shopping, and entertainment matter to delegates."

Both SKIL and EEMA pointed to