Andhra Pradesh is launching an aggressive MICE policy to turn the state into a global business hub, backing the move with massive infrastructure upgrades and dedicated city-level bureaus. The plan is ambitious — Ajay Jain, Special Chief Secretary, expects the state’s hotel room count to quadruple to 20,000 within just five years. By establishing specialised bureaus in Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, and Vijayawada, the government aims to slash through red tape, offering a “single-window” for international event organisers.
A major centrepiece of this vision is the proposed ‘Andhra Mandapam’ in Visakhapatnam — a world-class venue designed to mirror the success of Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam. Private players are already biting; Atmosphere Core is pouring seven billion rupees into luxury MICE-ready hotels, while the Varun Group is anchoring developments in Amaravati. For these bureaus to truly succeed, however, industry experts warn they must remain autonomous — avoiding the trap of becoming mere symbolic government offices if they hope to win high-stakes international bids.
