The First Meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) on promotion of the Live Events Industry was convened on 26^th August at the National Media Centre, New Delhi, under the Chairmanship of the Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Sanjay Jaju.

In his recent addresses, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi highlighted the vast untapped potential of India’s live entertainment sector, emphasizing its role as a key driver of employment, investment, tourism, and India’s cultural and global influence. Constituted in July 2025 under the directions of the Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, the JWG brings together representatives of Central and State Governments, industry associations, music rights societies, and major event companies to shape India’s concert economy.

The meeting was attended by key representatives from the Ministries of Information & Broadcasting, Culture, Youth Affairs & Sports, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Finance, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Sports Authority of India. Officials from State Governments of Maharashtra, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka were also present at the first meeting of the JWG.

Industry associations viz. EEMA, FICCI, CII, ILEA, and all major stakeholders including BookMyShow, Wizcraft, Saregama, District by Zomato, Touchwood Entertainment Ltd., participated in the JWG meeting. Representative from rights societies includinng IPRS, PPL, RMPL, and IMI Trust were also present.

Key Outcomes

·         Single Window Platform: Integration of live event clearances into the India Cine Hub Portal for ease of doing business.

·         Music Licensing & IP Rights: Launch of a Centralised Digital Music Licensing Registry by October 2025 in collaboration with rights societies.

·         Infrastructure Development: Creation of a model policy to allow multi-use of stadiums and public spaces for live events and also to promote new green field venue development in the States

·         Skill Development: Inclusion of live entertainment skills in the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).

·         Financial Incentives: Consideration of GST rebates, blended finance models, subsidies, and MSME recognition for the live entertainment sector.

The Secretary, Ministry of I&B, underlined the Government’s commitment to establishing India as one of the Top 5 global live entertainment destinations by 2030, with the potential to generate 15–20 million jobs, expand infrastructure, and strengthen India’s global cultural influence. He also said that JWG will work in mission mode to harness concert economy as a driver of infrastructure creation, employment, tourism, and cultural soft power

Background

India’s live entertainment market valued at ₹20,861 crore in 2024 and growing at 15% annually is among the fastest-growing segments of the media and entertainment industry. With rising demand across Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities, surging music tourism, and premium audience experiences, the sector is emerging as a critical pillar of India’s creative economy.

The JWG will meet periodically to track progress of sub-groups and present consolidated policy recommendations, building on the White Paper “India’s Live Events Economy: A Strategic Growth Imperative” presented at the WAVES 2025 Summit. (https://mib.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-06/india-s-live-events-economy-whitepaper-final-compressed_0.pdf )

***

Dharmendra Tewari/ Navin Sreejith