New Delhi: Tourism will be one of the biggest engines of India’s future growth, creating as many as 25 million jobs, former NITI Aayog CEO and G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant said on Monday. Speaking at the TV9 ICONIC Awards & Travel & Tourism Summit 2025 in New Delhi, Kant emphasised that India cannot achieve rapid growth without excellence in travel, tourism and creativity.
Congratulating award winners, he described them as “icons” who embody both India’s soft and hard power. Pointing out that India is already a $4 trillion economy, Kant highlighted the role of the tourism sector in meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s target of the economy crossing $30 trillion by 2047.
“A $30 trillion plus economy means that in the coming years, India’s GDP has to grow ten times, its per capita income has to grow about eight times, and its manufacturing has to grow about 16 times.” Such a leap, he stressed, will not be possible without the creativity and excellence that the tourism sector represents. “This would require many icons like all of you to build in the spirit of creativity, a spirit of excellence and a spirit of commitment to drive India’s growth and prosperity.”
Speaking about the 7th edition of the ICONIC Awards, Kant averred that these awards represent both the hard power and the soft power of India. “My belief is that it will be very difficult for India to grow at such high rates without excellence in the field of travel, tourism and in the field of creativity. And to my mind, the tourism sector will be a very major driver of India’s growth, but it will also be a very major driver of creating 25 million jobs for India,” he said.
Acknowledging the role of Jyoti Mayal, CEO of Red Hat Communications and Chairperson of the Tourism and Hospitality Skill Council, for her leadership in running the ICONIC Awards for seven consecutive years, Kant lauded her passion and commitment to drive the spirit of excellence.
TV9 ICONIC Awards & Travel and Tourism Summit 2025
The 7th edition of the ICONIC Awards and Travel & Tourism Summit, held at ITC Maurya, brought together leading voices from travel, tourism, hospitality and luxury. From AI-powered itineraries to India’s emergence as a luxury hub, the summit celebrated innovation while honouring achievers shaping India’s global tourism story.