The Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart 2025 opened yesterday with a grand inauguration ceremony at the Kushabhau Thakre International Convention Centre, Bhopal, setting the stage for a dynamic showcase of the state’s tourism potential.
The evening commenced with the traditional lamp lighting and a warm welcome of dignitaries, followed by an insightful presentation by Shri Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, Culture and Home and Managing Director, Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board. A key highlight was the unveiling of the FICCI Impact Assessment Report on the Madhya Pradesh Film Tourism Policy 2020–25. The event also featured engaging addresses from industry leaders and film personalities, including Ravi Gosain, Raghubir Yadav, Parveen Chander Kumar, Michele Immelman, Wasim Shaikh, and Shri Gajraj Rao.The state further demonstrated its vision for tourism-led growth with Letters of Award (LoA) presented to investors for projects such as golf courses, wellness resorts, tent cities, helicopter services, and river cruises. At the same time, significant investment proposals worth over ₹3,665 crore were announced. These included ₹600 crore from Vinayak Kalani’s Treasure Group, ₹500 crore from the Jagdish Arora Group, ₹300 crore from Vivek Laddani, and ₹500 crore from Sumardhwaj of Malwa Club. As Chief Minister Shri Mohan Yadav highlighted, such proposals “reflect the unwavering trust of investors across the country in the state government’s policies and Madhya Pradesh’s future,” while creating “thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities, giving new wings to the dreams of the state’s youth.”Additionally, MoUs were signed with Balaji Telefilms, Curly Tales, and the Atavi Bird Foundation, underscoring Madhya Pradesh’s appeal as a hub for film tourism, storytelling, and sustainable initiatives. Film producer Ekta Kapoor, who signed a five-year MoU to shoot films in the state, said Madhya Pradesh offered unparalleled opportunities for filmmakers. “Many others have expressed interest too,” the Chief Minister said, acknowledging actors like Gajraj Rao and Raghubir Yadav who also signed MoUs.The ceremony concluded with the launch of Madhya Pradesh Tourism’s new international TVC, followed by keynote addresses from Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Chief Minister Shri Mohan Yadav, both reaffirming the government’s long-term visionIn his address, the Chief Minister announced that the Madhya Pradesh Travel Mart will henceforth be organised annually on fixed dates, October 11, 12, and 13, joining Kerala and Rajasthan in establishing a structured tourism calendar. Calling the mart an effort to showcase the “tourism potential of the heart of India before the world,” he described it as “a bridge to take the thrill and culture of this land to the world through key investors so that more and more visitors come to this marvellous land.”
Beyond the Bhopal event, the government has extended opportunities to other regions, with tourism conclaves organised in Rewa, Gwalior, and Ujjain. Collectively, these regional meets have already attracted investments worth over ₹3,500 crore, with Rewa alone drawing commitments of ₹3,000 crore. Together with the Travel Mart, Madhya Pradesh has unlocked more than ₹6,500 crore in potential tourism investment, a figure poised to transform the state’s economic and cultural landscape.
