India for MICE 2026 Highlights India’s Emergence as a Global Meetings & Conventions Destination
Hyderabad : As part of World Events Economy Week (WEEW) 2026, the 2nd Edition of India for MICE convened leading voices from the global meetings, conventions, exhibitions, and business events industry at HITEX Exhibition Centre, Hyderabad.
Bringing together government leaders, convention experts, destination representatives, global associations, and industry stakeholders, the platform focused on India’s growing role in the international MICE ecosystem and the opportunities ahead for sustainable industry growth.
Key Industry Insights
Mr Sebastian Witt, Partner, JWC; In the years ahead, India is poised to benefit from the powerful convergence of a growing economy, a rapidly expanding middle class, and a young, dynamic population. From an economic perspective, India possesses all the fundamentals required to build a strong, resilient, and globally competitive MICE industry. In many ways, it is better positioned than several mature economies, including China and parts of Europe, which are increasingly facing structural and demographic challenges. The future growth of the global exhibitions industry is expected to be driven largely by the East, with India emerging as one of its strongest growth engines. While India’s exhibition market is currently small in global terms, its growth trajectory is unparalleled. India today accounts for approximately 8% of Asia’s exhibition industry and just about 2% of the global market. Considering that India is set to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, this relatively modest share highlights the significant untapped potential that still exists. Globally, the exhibition industry has yet to fully recover to its pre-pandemic levels. India, however, demonstrated remarkable resilience. By 2023, the industry had largely recovered, and by 2024 it had surpassed pre-pandemic performance. Looking ahead, the growth outlook remains exceptionally strong, with annual growth expected to average around 8.5%. By 2027, India’s exhibition industry is projected to exceed pre-COVID levels by more than 50%. Today, India is widely regarded as the most attractive exhibition market in the world—not because of its current size, but because of the scale of its future opportunity. Its growth prospects outpace those of virtually every major market globally. However, realizing this potential will require addressing a critical challenge: the shortage of quality exhibition infrastructure. India’s exhibition space per capita remains significantly below global benchmarks, limiting the industry’s ability to capitalize fully on growing demand. If India aspires to become a global leader in the MICE sector, the industry must be recognized as a priority sector by policymakers. Countries such as Germany have demonstrated how strategic policy support can transform exhibitions into a major economic driver and global success story. Encouragingly, states such as Maharashtra have already recognized this opportunity and are making significant investments in exhibition and convention infrastructure. With the right policy framework, infrastructure investments, and industry collaboration, India has the potential to emerge as one of the world’s foremost MICE destinations in the coming decade.
Sri Suman Billa, IAS, Additional Secretary & Director General, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, highlighted the Government’s strong commitment to MICE development and noted that India’s exhibition economy is growing at approximately 8.2% annually, with the broader convention industry expected to grow at nearly 15% annually, significantly higher than global growth rates.
He emphasized Hyderabad’s growing importance as a convention destination, noting that the city hosts a significant share of India’s major conventions and benefits from strong support from the Government of Telangana.
India today stands in a position of remarkable strength. Despite geopolitical uncertainties and global economic headwinds, the country continues to demonstrate robust economic growth and resilience. Within this context, the potential of the conventions and exhibitions industry is immense. As India’s economy expands, the demand for business events, trade fairs, conferences, and exhibitions is set to grow significantly, creating unprecedented opportunities for the MICE sector. Our next challenge is to position India as a preferred global destination for hosting international MICE events. At the same time, we must establish ourselves as leaders in sustainability by embracing carbon-neutral practices and creating environmentally responsible event ecosystems. The MICE industry has the potential to become a transformative engine of economic growth, investment, innovation, and job creation for India. To accelerate this vision, we are working towards establishing a dedicated corpus to support MICE events across the country. This initiative will serve as an incentive for states to invest in and prioritize MICE tourism, helping create a stronger and more competitive national ecosystem.
We are also closely collaborating with the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), which manages Bharat Mandapam. While ITPO has successfully developed and operated world-class exhibition infrastructure, its broader mandate is to promote India’s trade and business interests globally. Under the guidance of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, there is renewed focus on strengthening this larger mission.
Going forward, ITPO will play a strategic role in identifying major international events where India should have a strong presence and in facilitating impactful India Pavilions that showcase the country’s capabilities to the world. Equally important is the role ITPO can play in incubating and nurturing marquee events across India. For example, Chennai, as one of India’s leading automotive hubs, has the potential to host a world-class automotive exhibition of global significance. This is where ITPO and the Incredible India initiative can work together to create flagship events that reflect India’s industrial strengths and attract international participation. By combining policy support, world-class infrastructure, sustainability, and strategic promotion, India has the opportunity to emerge as one of the world’s most influential MICE destinations in the years ahead.
Ms Adeline Vancauwelaert, COO, UFI, The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry; Said, “The conventions and exhibitions industry today contributes nearly US$104 billion to global GDP and supports approximately 1.8 million jobs worldwide. To put this into perspective, if the global exhibition industry were a country, its economic output would rival that of nations such as Greece or Qatar. India currently accounts for roughly 4% of the Asia-Pacific region’s venue capacity. Given the country’s economic momentum, expanding business ecosystem, and growing prominence as a global events destination, there remains tremendous potential for further investment in convention and exhibition infrastructure. The opportunity before you is not merely to add capacity, but to build world-class venues that position India as a leading hub for international exhibitions, conferences, and large-scale business events”.
Sri. Sooraj Dhawan, President, IEIA; said, “The Indian MICE community has created a remarkable impact on the global stage. Hyderabad, as a city, has always demonstrated that it is different—and yet capable of delivering excellence at the highest level. That spirit is embodied in this edition of the India MICE Conference. Today, India stands at a defining moment. As the world turns its attention towards our nation, it also witnesses the emergence of world-class convention and exhibition centres that India has developed over the last five years. We are here to tell the world that India has arrived. The world is increasingly recognizing India as a premier destination for next-generation events, conventions, and exhibitions. India is now one of the most attractive MICE markets globally and the world’s fastest-growing expo economy. The future of the MICE industry is unmistakably bright, with India poised to play a leading role in shaping its growth. As we showcase our venues and venue operators travel across the world to pitch their destinations, the strength of Brand India is evident everywhere. I recall how Thomas from JWC would establish an India Pavilion at leading global exhibitions, creating a unified platform where stakeholders from across the country could come together. The message was simple yet powerful: Bring your event to India, choose any venue, and let India be your next destination of choice. As pioneers of the exhibition industry in India, we can confidently assure the world that we bring together every element required to create exceptional events. Whether it is world-class venues, flawless event execution, outstanding hospitality and F&B, or memorable, Instagram-worthy experiences, India offers an unparalleled palette of possibilities. The coming decade promises to be extraordinary. Together, we have the opportunity to co-create, collaborate, and achieve milestones that will redefine India’s position as a global MICE powerhouse. The best is yet to come”.
Sri Ranjeet Naik, IFS, Director of Tourism, Government of Telangana; said, The Government of Telangana is placing significant emphasis on the development of MICE tourism as a key driver of economic growth, investment, and employment. The recently unveiled Telangana Tourism Policy accords special focus to the MICE sector, not only in Hyderabad but across the state, with the objective of positioning Telangana as a premier destination for meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions, and business events. As articulated by our Hon’ble Chief Minister, Sri Revanth Reddy, the MICE industry is a priority sector for the Government. We are committed to providing sustained policy support, infrastructure development, and an enabling ecosystem to accelerate its growth. The Government of Telangana will continue to extend its full support and strategic thrust to this industry, ensuring that the state emerges as a leading MICE destination in India and on the global stage.
Anju Gomes, Senior Regional Director, ICCA, shared that India hosted 1,446 international meetings, with the convention industry growing at approximately 13% CAGR. She highlighted that nearly 55% of India’s convention market remains untapped, presenting significant opportunities for future growth. Medical Sciences and Technology continue to be the largest sectors driving international meetings in India.
Adeline Vancauwelaert, COO, UFI, stressed the importance of human connections, partnerships, technology adoption, AI-driven decision-making, and sustainability in shaping the future of exhibitions and business events. She noted that India continues to demonstrate strong confidence in exhibitions as a business growth platform.
Sebastian Witt, Partner, JWC, described India as one of the world’s fastest-growing exhibition markets, supported by strong economic fundamentals, rapid post-pandemic recovery, and increasing government support. He noted that India is growing at nearly 13% annually, substantially outpacing global industry growth.
Key Themes Discussed
l India’s rise as a global MICE destination
l Convention infrastructure and destination development
l AI, technology, and data-driven event management
l Sustainability and Net Zero commitments
l International association meetings
l Public-private partnerships
l Future growth opportunities in the exhibitions and conventions sector
The discussions reinforced a common message: India is entering a defining decade for the MICE and convention industry, supported by strong economic growth, policy support, expanding infrastructure, and increasing global interest.
India for MICE forms one of the three flagship platforms under World Events Economy Week (WEEW) 2026, alongside the 5th South India Wedding Planners Congress (SIWPC) and the Creative Economy Conclave, bringing together the Weddings, MICE, Tourism, Hospitality, and Creative Economy sectors into one integrated ecosystem.
WEEW 2026 continues until June 15 at HITEX Exhibition Centre, Hyderabad.
