Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat participated in a CEO Roundtable on the sidelines of a summit on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, engaging with senior executives from the tourism and infrastructure sectors to discuss India's development roadmap under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Context

Shekhawat shared on X that the roundtable brought together 'leading executives from the tourism and infrastructure sectors' to exchange ideas on the path toward Viksit Bharat by 2047 — the government's flagship vision to transform India into a fully developed economy by the centenary of independence. The minister highlighted 'transformative initiatives undertaken under the leadership' of Prime Minister Modi 'over the last 12 years' as the central thread of discussion.

Such CEO-level interactions on summit sidelines have become a recurring format for the Union government, allowing ministers to refine implementation roadmaps in direct dialogue with private-sector decision-makers rather than through formal bureaucratic channels.

Policy Backdrop

The conversation sits within a decade-long policy architecture that positions tourism as a core growth engine. The Swadesh Darshan scheme, launched in 2015, funds the development of theme-based tourist circuits, while the PRASAD scheme, introduced in 2014-15, targets integrated development of pilgrimage and heritage destinations. A draft National Tourism Policy circulated in 2021 further emphasised sustainable tourism and increased private investment as twin pillars.

Successive Union Budgets have set targets for rising foreign tourist arrivals and domestic travel, with upgraded connectivity and restored heritage sites cited as key enablers. The Viksit Bharat 2047 framework ties these sectoral goals into a single national ambition, giving roundtable discussions like this one a direct policy anchor.

Stakeholders and Impact

Tourism and infrastructure executives at the roundtable represent the private capital and operational expertise the government needs to translate scheme allocations into on-ground outcomes — from hotel and resort development near heritage corridors to last-mile connectivity for pilgrimage circuits. Their input at this stage can shape the contours of future budget allocations or scheme guidelines.

For the broader tourism ecosystem — including state governments, local hospitality businesses, and communities around heritage sites — such high-level dialogue signals continued federal attention to the sector and potential for fresh investment commitments in the next policy cycle.

What's Next

Observers will watch for follow-up policy announcements or investment pledges linked to tourism circuits in the next Union Budget cycle or at a forthcoming national tourism conclave. The minister's active engagement with CEOs on the Viksit Bharat roadmap suggests the government is in an active consultation phase ahead of any such announcements.

With 2047 as the long-horizon target, the immediate test is whether ideas exchanged at roundtables like this translate into measurable scheme expansions or new public-private partnership frameworks in the near term.