EEMAGINE 2026 CHENNAI: EEMA President Samit Garg puts India’s Experience Economy on a $59 Billion Growth Path

Last updated Aug 9, 2026

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As EEMAGINE 2026 enters its final day at ITC Grand Chola, Chennai, the Events and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) has put the scale and economic potential of India’s experience economy firmly in the spotlight.

Presenting the industry outlook at the convention, Samit Garg, President, EEMA, highlighted a sector that is already a multi-lakh-crore economic engine and is poised for significant expansion over the coming years.

According to the figures presented by EEMA, India’s Entertainment & Live Events sector was valued at approximately US$32.2 billion in 2024, with the broader experience economy projected to reach US$59.2 billion by 2029–30. This represents a near doubling of the market. EEMA also projects the Indian experience economy to grow at approximately 16–18% annually—nearly twice the pace of global growth.

A multi-lakh-crore economic engine

The presentation highlighted the enormous scale already generated by the industry:

₹3.5–4 lakh crore — estimated contribution of India’s organised events industry to the economy.
10 million+ jobs — currently supported by the creative and experience economy.
₹2 lakh crore+ — estimated size of India’s live events and experiences market, growing at around 15% annually.
~₹125 lakh crore — estimated overall wedding economy, including organised and unorganised segments.
10 million+ weddings annually, making weddings one of the country’s largest experience-led economic activities.

EEMA’s presentation also pointed to the significant headroom for growth. While India accounts for nearly 18% of the world’s population, it currently represents only around 2–4% of the global experience economy, according to the association.

For EEMA, this gap represents one of the country’s biggest untapped economic opportunities—across live entertainment, weddings, MICE, exhibitions, cultural tourism and destination-led experiences.

The multiplier effect

The industry’s impact extends well beyond event companies themselves. Large-scale events create demand across hospitality, aviation, tourism, transportation, logistics, food and beverage, retail, production, technology and destination infrastructure.

EEMA has also highlighted that India hosted more than 34,000 concerts and live shows in 2025, illustrating the rapidly expanding appetite for live experiences.

The association’s Vision 2030 ambition is therefore not simply to grow the events industry, but to position India as the “Experience Capital of the World.”

With EEMAGINE 2026 bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, entrepreneurs and international experts in Chennai, the final day of the convention is expected to further focus on the infrastructure, policy, technology, talent and investment required to unlock this opportunity.

The message from EEMAGINE 2026 is clear: India’s experience economy is no longer a niche sector—it is emerging as a major contributor to economic growth, employment, tourism and destination development.