Based on his personal blog, Amitabh Khosla writes in his personal capacity to explore a pressing question: does India truly have the systems in place to emerge as a global MICE powerhouse? The views are drawn from first-hand observations and experience.
India has venues, air connectivity and hotel inventories but does it have the system in place to truly become a global MICE powerhouse?
In June 2025, Delhi played host to the IATA Annual General Meeting (AGM), an event of global stature returning to Indian soil after 42 years. The city welcomed 1,700 delegates, including 200 international journalists. Beyond the spotlight, the AGM demonstrated something far more important: India’s capability and readiness to host large-scale, world-class business events.
International feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and rightly so. The AGM reflected the Government of India’s ambition to position the country as a premier global MICE destination. Initiatives such as the Tourism Ministry’s digital MICE catalogues are a strong step in the right direction. However, while the software, India’s energy and intent, is firmly in place, some elements of the system still need a hard refresh.
As the Country Director of IATA in India, I had a front-row seat to the coordination efforts behind the AGM, which began nearly a year in advance. Organising a global event of this scale is never simple but it was clear that the area needing urgent attention is India’s visa regime for foreign business visitors. We received strong and responsive support from multiple government ministries — Ministry of Civil Avition (MoCA), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Indian missions abroad and the Bureau of Immigration. Every escalation was taken seriously and resolved with urgency. Yet, even with this cooperation, the underlying visa framework created moments of confusion and administrative burden.
Here are some of the recurring issues we encountered:
- Uncertainty about visa categories: e-Business or e-Conference?
- Rejection of visas under wrong category
- Complex requirement to submit confirmed delegate lists early in planning stages
- Cumbersome and slow process for journalist visa applications
- High fees for certain nationalities
- Long and sometimes confusing application forms
- Technical snags on the e-Visa payment gateway
Launched in 2014, India’s e-Visa system was revolutionary. Today, it covers over 175 nationalities and has facilitated millions of visits but times have changed. Security systems are smarter, data verification has advanced and user expectations are far higher. It is time to update the system to match India’s MICE ambitions. Following initiatives can make a real difference:
- Remove the e-Conference visa category: It adds limited value and causes more confusion than clarity. Instead, streamline the e-Business visa to cover MICE-related travel without a separate e-MICE visa.
- Simplify the visa application form: Improve the user interface, upgrade the payment infrastructure and shorten the time it takes to apply.
- Review the overall visa policy: Countries like Malaysia and Thailand attract business events through far more open visa regimes, including visa-free and visa-on-arrival options. India needs to stay competitive.
Of course, national security must always remain paramount. No simplification should undermine due diligence but there is a clear middle path between security and simplicity. A more streamlined, intuitive and predictable visa experience could be the missing link in India’s MICE growth story. We have everything else: venues, infra and the talent. If we get this right, India has a real shot at becoming one of the best destinations for global business events.
Malaysia and Thailand attract business events through far more open visa regimes, including visa-free and visa-on-arrival options. India needs to stay competitive
