Hence, India has become a tourism hotspot in recent years with an unprecedented boom. TV9 Network Travel & Tourism Summit: Iconic Awards 2025 recognised the prolific growth of our country’s tourism sector in recent years. The summit was graced by several eminent dignitaries, who shared their valuable insight and opinion on the present and the future of an industry which is growing at a rapid pace.
Domestic tourism India’s biggest strength: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat emphasised the role of domestic tourism as India’s biggest strength, saying it gives the country a unique edge over its global peers. Speaking at the TV9 Network Travel and Tourism Summit, he said that while destinations such as Dubai, Singapore and Thailand attract higher numbers of international visitors, their domestic base is negligible compared to India.
‘Tourism will drive India’s future growth’
Former NITI Aayog CEO and G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, while speaking at the summit, said tourism will be one of the biggest engines of India’s future growth, creating as many as 25 million jobs. He emphasised that India cannot achieve rapid growth without excellence in travel, tourism and creativity. Also, he highlighted the role of the tourism sector in meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s target of the economy crossing $30 trillion by 2047.
IndiGo received the Iconic Excellence in Aviation Award
IndiGo Airlines received the Iconic Excellence in Aviation Award, recognising its position as India’s largest and fastest-growing carrier, known for its affordability, punctuality and customer service. The award was accepted on behalf of the airline by Vinay Balotra and Anshu Sethi, with Balotra’s earlier achievements at VFS also being highlighted.
Notable speakers, panellists illuminated the stage
TV9 Network’s Travel and Tourism Summit kicked off with the panel discussion from the dignitaries which included Ravi Nandan Sinha, Director of Development at MSME Business Forum India, Yummi Talwar operations at VFS Global, Anshul Sethi Head of Sales to Indigo, Professor Dr Manohar Sajnani Professor and Dean Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism and Director at Amity University, Chalaka Gajabahu and Rajdev Bhattacharya, Global Head of Travel & Expense (T&E). The main topic of discussion was the trends in travel in recent times and how travel demand is currently looking.
On the other hand, the discussion on spiritual, cultural and natural wonders of India had Mugdha Sinha, Niharika Rai IAS, Keshav Murari Das, Shivraj Singh and Shriji Huzur Dr Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar as the panellists. There was a session on Artificial Intelligence and tourism, where panellists Sandeep Dwivedi, Kartik Sharma, Rajesh Magow, Harish Khatri, Vishesh Jhol, Jyoti Mayal and Raktim Das discussed how AI, data analytics, and development in tech are reshaping every aspect of the travel experience.