- Sector grew 44% in a year, with around 34,000 events held nationwide
- Target: double the sector by 2030, creating 15–20 million direct and ancillary jobs
- States and UTs asked to route full event licensing through the India Cine Hub portal
- Five states have adopted the Model Executive Order for live event permissions
- Single national music licence and entertainment precincts under discussion
India’s live events sector grew 44% in a year, staging around 34,000 events and supporting over one crore livelihoods. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Secretary Chanchal Kumar said the figures came out of the fifth meeting of the Live Events Development Cell (LEDC).
Growth target and job potential
The government wants to double the sector by 2030. Kumar said it could create 15–20 million direct and ancillary jobs.
He called the LEDC a strong model of cooperation between industry, the states and the Centre. The cell brings together 14 Central ministries and departments, 10 States and Union Territories, and 21 industry bodies.
The number of states and UTs with designated Nodal Officers has risen from 16 to 29.
Single window licensing push
The meeting reviewed the single window clearance portal for the live event industry on the India Cine Hub (ICH) portal. States and UTs were told to appoint Nodal Officers and nominate authorised officers from their departments.
They must also link departmental and local licensing systems with the ICH portal. The full licence process should run through the portal, and venues should be onboarded. Live event licensing should be notified as a time-bound public service.
Five states have so far adopted the Model Executive Order for Streamlining Licensing and Permissions for Live Events in India, 2026. It was shared with states and UTs on 13 March 2026. Maharashtra, an LEDC member, adopted it and presented on its rollout. The remaining states and UTs were urged to move faster.
The Ministry of Home Affairs has also eased FRRO re-registration for foreign performers on short stays.
Venues, music licence and rules
The Archaeological Survey of India and the Sports Authority of India have issued SOPs for holding live events at their sites. Major venues are set to be pre-approved, so organisers will not need separate permissions for each event.
The LEDC also discussed a single national music licence with notified tariffs. It would replace overlapping demands from several rights societies. Entertainment precincts under the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 were also on the table, along with easing caps on foreign remittances paid to international artists.
A framework for brownfield and greenfield venue development was reviewed to tackle the shortage of purpose-built venues. States, industry and sports authorities have been asked to send formal feedback on the draft. Proposals include adding large venues to the Harmonised Master List of Infrastructure Sub-sectors and funding projects under the Viability Gap Funding scheme.
Skilling and upcoming launches
The Live Event Skilling Committee, chaired by the Vice Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC), reported progress on its curriculum. This includes an MoU between IIMC, MESC and EEMA, along with certificate and short-term courses. Stakeholders were asked to adopt these modules through their skilling institutions.
Two new guidelines are planned for launch at WAVES 2027, with industry support. These are inclusivity guidelines for the safety of women and Divyang-jan at live events and concerts, and a Green Concert Protocol.
The ministry said it will keep working with all stakeholders to build a supportive, growth-focused ecosystem for the sector.
