Wedding industry in India holds immense potential: Tourism Minister

New Delhi: The wedding industry in India holds immense potential and is poised to become a key driver to push the economic growth, Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Friday. He was addressing a gathering after inaugurating the 1st Wedding Tourism Summit & Expo hosted here by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI).

Age-wise, about 54 per cent of India's population is under 30 years. And a large part of household income is spent on weddings, the minister said. "And, if we consider those aged 25 and under, about 68 crore people in India are eligible to get married in the next few years, creating huge potential for the wedding industry," Shekhawat was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the PHDCCI.

The wedding industry in the country holds huge potential and is set to become an important driver of economic growth, the minister said. "If we combine tourism with the wedding industry and leverage existing infrastructure, we can multiply this sector's growth manifold," he added. Following the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to develop tourism in a mission mode, the ministry in August last year unveiled an ambitious campaign aimed at showcasing India as a premier wedding destination on the global stage. The Prime Minister, last year, said that the country needed a movement like 'Wed in India' along the lines of 'Made in India'.

PHDCCI president Hemant Jain said the grandeur of Indian weddings, combined with a trend of destination weddings, offers immense tourism potential. "The global wedding industry is valued at $300 billion, with India's market alone worth $50 billion, growing at 20-25 per cent annually," he was quoted as saying in the statement. Destination weddings, blending tourism and celebrations are now a multi-billion dollar industry, boosting sectors like hospitality and aviation, it said.