By Sameer Puri, Managing Director, Kestone Utsav,
India’s wedding and celebrations industry has evolved into a significant pillar of the country’s consumption-led growth, with deep linkages across tourism, hospitality, MSMEs, logistics, and creative services. Valued at approximately $130 billion annually, the sector supports millions of jobs and contributes nearly ₹6.5 lakh crore in economic activity, particularly during peak wedding seasons. Despite its scale, the industry remains largely unrecognised within formal policy frameworks.
As the Union Budget 2026 seeks to sustain India’s economic momentum amid a projected GDP growth of around 6.5%, there is a strong case for targeted budgetary interventions that acknowledge weddings as a high-impact economic multiplier. Fiscal measures such as enhanced MSME credit access, rationalised GST structures for event-linked services, and incentives for organised event businesses can improve formalisation, compliance, and productivity across the ecosystem.
Commenting on the economic outlook, Sameer Puri, Managing Director, Kestone Utsav, said, “Kestone Utsav sees India’s economic backdrop as resilient, with GDP growth projected around 6.5% in the upcoming fiscal year, supported by strong consumption and services demand. The wedding industry alone is a major economic pillar valued at around $130 billion annually, creating millions of jobs and contributing close to ₹6.5 lakh crore in economic activity during the peak 45-day season. With roughly 8–10 million weddings every year and robust consumer spending, targeted budget support for tourism, events, and MSMEs can further catalyse growth across hospitality, logistics, and creative sectors.”
Policy focus on tourism infrastructure, destination wedding promotion, and regional connectivity can unlock significant downstream benefits for Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. Additionally, budgetary allocation for skilling, digital enablement, and sustainability-linked incentives can help professionalise the sector while improving service quality and global competitiveness.
A budget that integrates the wedding economy into broader policy thinking can strengthen employment generation, expand tax bases through formalisation, and reinforce India’s consumption-driven growth narrative.
