VINOD BHAT
NEW DELHI, Aug 29: The Government of India has taken a decisive step to tap into the potential of the live events and concert economy by convening the first meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on promotion of the Live Events Industry. The meeting, chaired by Shri Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, was held on August 26 at the National Media Centre in New Delhi and brought together a wide spectrum of government representatives, industry leaders, and rights bodies to shape a comprehensive growth plan for the sector.
The JWG was set up in July 2025 under the directions of Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s emphasis on the immense untapped potential of India’s live entertainment sector. The Prime Minister had underscored the sector’s capacity to act as a catalyst for employment, investment, tourism, and cultural influence, urging stakeholders to create a framework that would unlock its possibilities.
The inaugural meeting witnessed participation from senior officials representing the Ministries of Information and Broadcasting, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports, Skill Development, Finance, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, and the Sports Authority of India. State governments of Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka also joined the deliberations. On the industry side, leading associations such as EEMA, FICCI, CII, and ILEA were present, along with major stakeholders including BookMyShow, Wizcraft, Saregama, District by Zomato, and Touchwood Entertainment Ltd. Music rights societies such as IPRS, PPL, RMPL, and IMI Trust also took part, highlighting the sector’s growing recognition as a key part of the creative economy.
The discussions underscored the government’s commitment to easing processes, protecting intellectual property, expanding infrastructure, and providing financial incentives to the live events industry. A single window clearance mechanism for live events will soon be integrated into the India Cine Hub portal, streamlining permissions that have long posed hurdles to organisers. In addition, a Centralised Digital Music Licensing Registry will be launched by October 2025 in collaboration with rights societies, ensuring transparency and efficiency in music licensing. To strengthen infrastructure, a model policy is being developed to enable the multi-use of stadiums and public spaces for live events, while also encouraging the creation of new world-class greenfield venues across states. Recognising the importance of skills, live entertainment training will be included in the National Skills Qualification Framework, giving youth an opportunity to build careers in the sector. Financial incentives, including GST rebates, subsidies, and MSME recognition, are also under consideration to boost entrepreneurship in this space.
Addressing the participants, Shri Sanjay Jaju said the JWG would work in mission mode to harness the concert economy as a driver of infrastructure creation, job generation, tourism, and cultural soft power. He reaffirmed that the government is determined to establish India as one of the top five global live entertainment destinations by 2030. According to him, the sector has the potential to generate 15 to 20 million jobs while significantly contributing to India’s global cultural influence.
India’s live entertainment market, valued at ₹20,861 crore in 2024 and growing at a rate of 15 percent annually, is already one of the fastest-growing segments of the media and entertainment industry. The growing appetite for live experiences across Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities, coupled with surging music tourism and premium audience demand, has positioned the sector as a critical pillar of the creative economy.
The JWG will continue to meet regularly to review progress and present policy recommendations. Its work builds on the White Paper “India’s Live Events Economy: A Strategic Growth Imperative” presented earlier this year at the WAVES 2025 Summit, and is expected to provide a robust framework for India’s emergence as a global powerhouse in live entertainment.
