To increase MICE tourism, the Union Ministry of Tourism will set up conference promotion bureaus at the local level

In order to greatly strengthen India’s Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism ecosystem and position the nation as a competitive global destination for large-scale events, the Union Ministry of Tourism has announced plans to establish city-level convention promotion bureaus as independent bodies in 2026.  Suman Billa, Additional Secretary and Director General, Ministry of Tourism, made the statement on December 19, 2025, in New Delhi during the opening of the EvenTech & MarTech Summit 2025, which was hosted by the Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA). The summit’s main goal was to support digital innovation and cutting-edge technologies in India’s event and exhibition sector.  “Different states across India are unlocking tourism opportunities in their unique ways,” Billa said, speaking to the crowd. It’s time to put India at the top of the global MICE map. Our objective is to transform a number of tiny Indian cities into international MICE destinations, with renowned venues like Bharat Mandapam, Yashobhoomi, and Jio World Centre as well as MICE being prioritised under the Incredible India campaign.  The establishment of professional City MICE Bureaus is a key component of the national strategy, according to Billa, who emphasised the significance of institutional assistance. “The foundation of our strategy is the creation of City MICE Bureaus. These bureaus will serve as a single point of contact for permissions and local partner networking, offering the coordinated, top-notch assistance that international events require. Within the next five years, we want to treble India’s market share in MICE worldwide by implementing an independent institutional structure,” he said.  Billa emphasised the importance of technology and said that the MICE industry needs to embrace digital transformation, sophisticated computing, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. “We will revolutionise the planning, management, and delivery of major national and international events in India by incorporating smart technologies into national event venues, offering predictive insights, and speeding up digital adoption throughout the ecosystem,” he stated.  The Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA) is working towards a transformative plan to place India among the top five worldwide exhibition markets, according to Sooraj Dhawan, President of the association, who spoke at the event. The MICE market in India is expected to increase from its 2024 valuation of USD 49.4 billion to USD 103.7 billion by 2030. The national plan to create professional City MICE Bureaus based on a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model is essential to harnessing this development, he said. These bureaus are intended to serve as a single point of contact for event organisers and greatly improve ease of doing business.  Dhawan went on to say that city MICE bureaus would be essential in drawing in foreign events. We are lowering the risk of market entry for international organisers by providing a one-window system and access to verified local partners. India would be able to provide the constant quality needed to host massive international exhibitions thanks to this professionalism and the implementation of BIS standards for exhibition organisation,” he said.  A roundtable discussion titled “Indian MICE Industry Roadmap for the Next Five Years” and the release of IEIA’s strategic report, “India MICE Opportunities Overview (2025–2030),” which provides a roadmap for utilising institutional frameworks and technology to establish India as a global leader in the MICE sector, were two of the summit’s main highlights.  Serving as the “Gateway to Indian Trade Shows,” the Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA) is the national apex organisation for exhibition organisers, venue owners, and service providers. It is essential to the growth of the Indian economy because it promotes the exhibition sector.