NEW DELHI: Days after Prime Minister Modi called for a “wed in India” movement to check the practice of uber rich families hosting destinationweddings abroad, the government is going to launch a programme to not just do that but also attract couples abroad to tie the knot here. Titled “India says I do”, the union tourism ministry is working on this campaign that is going to be launched in a big way.While KPMG some years back estimated the Indian wedding market to generate Rs 3-4 lakh crore annually, the actual number is much higher now. A number of big fat Indianweddingshosted abroad see huge sums being spent in foreign shores.Last month the traders body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) had said it expects Rs 4.7 lakh crore to be spent on the 38 lakh weddings during the just over
saaya
(auspicious wedding period) from November 23 to December 15, almost 25% more than last year. This expenditure includes all that incurred on all conceivable
band baaja baraat
musts like jewellery, dresses, wedding venues, gifts and food and beverages.
PM Modi stresses on ‘reconstruction of cultural symbols’, asks Indians to take pride in heritage
“The ministry is finalising contours of ‘India says I do’ which will showcase the massive infrastructure and available venues ranging from dreamy palaces, forts and
havelis
to banquet halls in all price brackets. The aim is to showcase India as a wedding destination for not just the
desis
but foreigners too,” said people in the know. A senior government official confirmed the upcoming campaign.Luxury hotels in India offer wedding packages going up to several crores. The most popular desi wedding venues include Rajasthan, especially lake city Udaipur, Jodhpur and Goa. The ministry top brass has started meetings with wedding industry stakeholders like hotel operators to finalise the contours of the campaign.Rich Indians splurge huge amounts on weddings abroad. For instance, some years back all five stars in a European capital were booked for the wedding of a leading industrialist’s child. Several nearby international destinations have been pitching themselves as an ideal destination wedding hosts for rich Indian families. For instance last year when Ras Al-Khaimah started getting direct flights from India, the local tourism authority gave weddings as one of the reasons why it is so bullish on Indian travellers.In fact Modi’s call for “wed in India” has already had an impact. An aircraft charter operator said on condition of anonymity that he has received cancellation of wedding charters from south India to the Gulf. “These were all business families that did not want to take any chances,” the operator said. The number of wedding charters from India had shot up significantly post Covid as the affluent wanted to get out of their homes and just break loose for 3-4 days.
Explore Your Financial Landscape with Personalized Credit Insights.
