Govt considering infra status to the hotel industry, says tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Union tourism minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat today said the government is actively considering a harmonised infrastructure status to the hotel industry.

 “This is a long-standing demand that will unlock capital, expand inventory and strengthen our global price competitiveness,” Shekhawat said at the 98th AGM and annual convention of FICCI. The move is expected to unlock significant capital inflows and strengthen the country’s position in the global tourism market, the minister added.

Shekhawat underlined the government’s vision to transform tourism into a $1 trillion sector generating millions of jobs by 2047, when India marks its centenary of independence. “Achieving this ambition target requires substantial private investment and re-imagined hospitality models to compete with regional peers,” he said.

Shekhawat said India has undertaken one of the largest tourism infrastructure programmes in the world, with over Rs 12,000 crore invested in destination development. “The government is developing 50 global-standard destinations under a challenge-mode framework, encouraging states to compete on infrastructure quality, user experience, and sustainability parameters,” he added.

Shekhawat highlighted the transformation of India’s connectivity infrastructure over the past decade, with operational airports expanding from fewer than 75 to 127, alongside 10 international-standard cruise terminals, 150,000 kilometres of new highways, 38 inland waterways for river cruises, and over 10,000 kilometres of metro lines across 23 tier I and II cities. “The rejuvenation of temple corridors, including Kashi, Mahakal, Kedarnath, Puri and Ayodhya, represents one of the most transformative tourism initiatives in modern India,” he added.

Shekhawat said India has emerged as a leader in wellness tourism, medical value travel and integrated healing pathways. “The country has a growing concert tourism sector will also host the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Gujarat,” he said.

“The sector currently contributes 5.2 per cent directly to India’s GDP and supports 84 million livelihoods. The industry could become a $250 billion opportunity by 2030 with appropriate policy support,” said FICCI President Harsha Vardhan Agarwal.

Agarwal pointed out that despite India’s civilisational depth and diversity, it attracts only 10 million international visitors, compared with France’s 90 million, Spain’s 84 million, and the United States’ 80 million. “This shows not a gap in potential, but a vast opportunity waiting to be unlocked,” he said.