Mahakumbh 2025: The Spiritual Spectacle Powering India's Tourism and Economy

Mahakumbh 2025: The Spiritual Spectacle Powering India's Tourism and Economy

By Nishang Narayan

Published on February 5, 2025

The Mahakumbh Mela 2025, currently underway in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, is the world’s largest spiritual congregation, deeply rooted in Hindu traditions. Beyond its religious and cultural significance, the Maha Kumbh is playing a pivotal role in driving India's spiritual tourism sector, attracting millions of visitors and generating substantial economic activity.

Authorities project that Mahakumbh 2025 will welcome over 400 million pilgrims, including a growing number of international visitors. By January 19, 2025, over 73 million people had already attended. In response to this unprecedented scale, the Uttar Pradesh government has allocated ₹7,500 crore for infrastructure upgrades, a sharp increase from the ₹4,200 crore spent in 2019. The event is expected to generate ₹2 lakh crore in direct revenue, with total transactions projected between ₹2–4 lakh crore, contributing over 1% to India’s GDP.

Economic Ripple Effects Across Sectors

The economic impact of the Maha Kumbh extends across multiple industries, particularly in travel, hospitality, and local businesses. With surging domestic and international travel bookings, airlines, railways, and private transport operators are witnessing unprecedented demand.

Gopal Krishna Agarwal, National Spokesperson of BJP for Economic Affairs, highlights the broader impact:

"Maha Kumbh's spiritual significance is attracting global attention, fostering greater interest in India as a travel destination. Besides its religious importance, Maha Kumbh serves as an economic catalyst, transforming various sectors of India. It's a massive economic and cultural phenomenon, generating multi-billion rupees worth of economic activity and empowering local businesses. In addition, the government's tireless efforts ensure Maha Kumbh creates a ripple effect on global interest in India's spiritual tourism potential. Further, initiatives like the Maitri Bodh Cultural Economic Summit align with this phenomenon, fostering collaboration between culture and economy, showcasing India's economic strength rooted in our heritage."

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Hospitality Sector Sees Unprecedented Growth

The hospitality industry is a key beneficiary of the Maha Kumbh, with the event extending beyond Prayagraj into cities like Varanasi, Lucknow, and Kanpur, driving an increased demand for hotels, transport, and tourism services. Many visitors are extending their trips to explore historical and cultural sites, leading to a significant rise in bookings.

Ambika Saxena, CEO of TWH Hospitality, emphasizes this shift:

"Maha Kumbh is not just a spiritual gathering but a transformative economic force reshaping India's hospitality and tourism landscape. The unprecedented influx of domestic and international visitors is driving an unparalleled demand for accommodations, transport, and hospitality services, creating immense opportunities for innovation and investment. This event exemplifies how cultural heritage can be a powerful engine of economic growth, reinforcing India's position as a global tourism powerhouse. We see this as more than just an opportunity. It is a responsibility to elevate India's global standing and redefine the future of spiritual tourism."

Positioning India as a Global Spiritual Tourism Hub

Mahakumbh 2025 is a unifying force, seamlessly blending faith with commerce and driving long-term economic growth. The sheer scale of the event and the government’s investment in infrastructure reinforce India’s position as a leading destination for spiritual and cultural tourism. With millions of visitors and sustained global interest, the Maha Kumbh is set to further strengthen India’s status as a premier spiritual tourism hub, attracting both religious travelers and cultural enthusiasts for years to come.


IndiGo Focuses on Operational Stability, Plans Select Route Expansion

IndiGo Focuses on Operational Stability, Plans Select Route Expansion

By Hariharan U

Published on January 3, 2026

IndiGo has outlined a cautious yet forward-looking approach as it prepares for the next phase of growth, placing strong emphasis on “operational reliability” while planning a limited set of international route additions. The airline said its immediate focus is to “stabilise operations” as it continues to strengthen capacity and network resilience.

As part of its international plans, IndiGo has announced the launch of non-stop services to Athens. This route will also mark the international debut of India’s first Airbus A321XLR, a new aircraft type expected to support the airline’s entry into fresh overseas markets as it gradually expands beyond short-haul operations.

Beyond Athens, the airline has not shared details of additional international destinations or capacity increases. IndiGo stated that it will continue to grow its international footprint while further densifying its domestic network, without outlining the pace or scale of expansion.

On the domestic front, the airline is also preparing to begin operations from Noida International Airport at Jewar, strengthening its presence in the National Capital Region once services commence.

Addressing recent operational challenges, IndiGo said it had swiftly restored normal operations following a temporary network disruption. The airline also confirmed that it is “fully collaborating and providing requested information to the regulator's committee” as part of an ongoing review by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.

While IndiGo reiterated its long-term ambitions, including plans related to widebody aircraft and sustained growth, its near-term outlook remains measured. The airline said its renewed focus on stability will help drive future scale, innovation, and impact as it carefully explores new frontiers.


Navi Mumbai Airport Sees 26,000+ Passengers in First Five Days

Navi Mumbai Airport Sees 26,000+ Passengers in First Five Days

By Hariharan U

Published on January 1, 2026

Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) has made an impressive start, handling a total of 26,021 passengers in its first five days of operations. This includes 12,431 arrivals and 13,590 departures, showing strong demand right from day one.

Weekend traffic was particularly high, with 5,548 travellers on Saturday and 5,614 on Sunday, reflecting growing confidence among passengers. During this initial period, the airport managed 162 flight movements, 81 arrivals and 81 departures, while keeping on-time performance smooth for both airlines and ground services.

Currently, NMIA connects 13 major domestic destinations, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Cochin, Coimbatore, Delhi, Goa (MOPA), Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mangalore, Nagpur, Vadodara. These connections cover key business and leisure hubs, giving travellers more options and conveand nience in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Looking ahead, the airport plans to expand its network with additional destinations and increased flight frequencies in coordination with partner airlines. With strong early passenger response and ready infrastructure, NMIA is set to become a modern, seamless travel hub in Western India


Air India Expands Partnership with airBaltic to Offer Seamless Connectivity to Latvia

Air India Expands Partnership with airBaltic to Offer Seamless Connectivity to Latvia

By Hariharan U

Published on January 1, 2026

Air India has strengthened its partnership with airBaltic, the flag carrier of Latvia, by entering into a new codeshare agreement, making travel between India and the Baltic region easier and more seamless for its customers. This move builds on the interline partnership established between the two carriers in June 2025.

Under the codeshare, Air India has begun adding its ‘AI’ designator code on airBaltic-operated flights between Riga and Air India’s European gateways including Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Copenhagen, Milan Malpensa, Vienna, Zurich, and London Gatwick. This allows passengers to travel between India and Riga with a single Air India ticket, covering connecting flights under the same booking.

Additionally, Air India’s interline agreement with airBaltic allows travellers to reach Tallinn, Estonia, and Vilnius, Lithuania via select European gateways, further expanding access to the Baltic region.

Nipun Aggarwal, Chief Commercial Officer, Air India, said, "This expanded partnership with airBaltic reflects Air India’s commitment to providing seamless global connectivity to our customers. Latvia and the wider Baltic region are growing travel markets, and this codeshare makes the journey more convenient than ever."

Air India currently operates multiple non-stop flights connecting India with Europe:

  • Delhi: Amsterdam (7x weekly), Paris (14x weekly), Frankfurt (12x weekly), Copenhagen (4x weekly), Milan (6x weekly), Vienna (4x weekly), Zurich (4x weekly)

  • Mumbai: Frankfurt (5x weekly)

  • Amritsar & Ahmedabad: London Gatwick (3x weekly each)

Since its privatization in 2022, Air India has expanded its global alliance network to include 24 codeshare partnerships and nearly 100 interline agreements, offering passengers access to over 800 destinations worldwide.

The new codeshare flights are now available for booking through both airlines’ official channels and travel partners.

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