India’s experience economy is projected to grow from around $32.2bn in 2024 to $59.2bn by 2029/2030, according to a Vision 2030 roadmap released by the Events and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) ahead of its EEMAGINE 2026 convention in Chennai.
The roadmap points to live entertainment, weddings, MICE and cultural tourism as the sector’s main growth areas, expecting them to expand 16% to 18% a year. EEMA estimates India’s organised events industry already contributes between Rs 3.5 lakh crore and Rs 4 lakh crore to the economy and supports more than one crore jobs, a figure it expects to nearly double over the next five to six years.
Weddings remain the largest segment by far, with an estimated Rs 125 lakh crore economy and around 10 million weddings held each year, while the live events market, valued at more than Rs 2 lakh crore, saw more than 34,000 concerts and live shows across India in 2025.
Policy reform seen as key to growth
EEMA is pushing for policy reform and infrastructure investment, including simpler, more consistent approval processes for events, and has submitted a MICE strategy draft to the Ministry of Commerce. Separately, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’s Live Events Development Cell has set a target of creating 15m to 20m additional jobs by 2030.
EEMAGINE 2026 runs from 7 to 9 August at ITC Grand Chola in Chennai, bringing together more than 800 policymakers, event professionals and international experts. It’s the first time EEMA has chosen Chennai to host the event, citing Tamil Nadu’s tourism economy and events sector.
