The Ministry of Tourism is inviting people from around the world to visit Prayagraj and experience the Maha Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings on Earth. The event, which begins on January 13th and runs for 45 days, will feature an "Incredible India Pavilion" showcasing cultural heritage, luxury tent accommodations, and enhanced air connectivity. The ministry is also launching a major social media campaign to generate buzz about the event, encouraging people to share their experiences and moments from the Maha Kumbh.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a fresh case of corruption against former finance minister P Chidambaram's son and Congress MP, Karti Chidambaram, for allegedly giving relief to alcoholic beverage company Diageo Scotland over a ban on the duty-free sale of its whisky, officials said on Thursday.
ITDC has embarked upon upgradation of its hotels at an estimated investment of Rs 146 crore (Rs 1.46 billion), while looking for duty-free business beyond India.
Key United Progressive Alliance ally Trinamool Congress has opposed the appointment of senior Congress leader Shankarsingh Vaghela as chairman of India Tourism Development Corporation with a cabinet minister rank.
India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced an ambitious plan to develop the country's top 50 tourist destinations in a "challenge mode", with the aim of boosting employment-led growth and attracting international visitors. The Ministry of Tourism has received a significant budget increase for 2025-2026, with a focus on enhancing tourism infrastructure, promoting domestic and international travel, and ensuring the safety of tourists, particularly women. The government plans to promote homestays, improve connectivity to tourist spots, and provide performance-linked incentives to states that demonstrate effective destination management. The budget also includes investments in public enterprises, skill development programs, and initiatives to promote medical tourism and spiritual tourism.
In yet another change at the top, M S Manchanda, a hotel industry veteran, on Tuesday took charge as chairman and managing director of state-owned India Tourism Development Corporation in place of senior IAS officer Rajeev Talwar.
Barely able to stand on its own feet after the disinvestment blow, the Indian Tourism Development Corporation is now struggling to get unpaid dues totalling Rs 15 crore (Rs 150 million from the government.
India Tourism Development Corporation will make a presentation before the government early next week for setting up "night bazaars" in the national capital
In 2017, a retired R&AW officer conveyed that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was keen to get monarchy restored in Nepal and suggested that I support these efforts.
With the new owner shelling out Rs 18,000 crore for the buyout of 'Maharaja' this would be the highest ever amount garnered through privatisation or even the cumulative sum garnered through strategic sale in 1999-00 to 2003-04. The government had garnered roughly over Rs 5,000 crore during that five-year period by privatising 10 CPSEs.
The government had aimed at completing the new Parliament building before the winter session which usually starts from the third week of November.
After a hiatus of nearly two decades, the government's programme to privatise state-owned firms restarted with the handing over of debt-laden national carrier Air India to the Tata Group. With the new owner shelling out Rs 18,000 crore for the buyout of the 'Maharaja', this would be the highest-ever amount garnered through privatisation, and is even more than the cumulative sum mopped up through strategic sales from 1999-00 to 2003-04. The government had in October last year inked the share purchase agreement with the Tata Group for sale of national carrier Air India for Rs 18,000 crore. Tatas would pay Rs 2,700 crore cash and take over Rs 15,300 crore of the airline's debt.
The government-owned hospitality chain, which lost almost all of its duty-free shops (barring two) to others as a result of the competitive bidding in the last couple of years, intends to regain its market share - at least marginally- in the next one year.
While Birla did not specify the financial implications of the move, sources said the Lok Sabha Secretariat can annually save more than Rs 8 crore with the subsidy coming to an end.
The hospitality sector has been hit very hard by the pandemic. In the past 18 months, it has lost business, first because of the harsh lockdowns and after that because of lack of demand due to the ensuing economic slowdown. Most hospitality businesses have sustained low revenues and losses since April 2020. Is this the classic case of a beaten-down cyclical sector that may be close to bottoming out?
The palace, currently run by JLR, will be offered to bidders on a long-term management contract.
ITDC/Aldeasa, a joint venture between state-owned Indian Tourism Development Corporation and Spanish company Aldeasa, had bagged the contract for duty-free operations at Mumbai airport for Rs 571 crore (Rs 5.71 billion) in February. Operations were to start in June. Instead, two weeks ago, Aldeasa wrote to MIAL saying that the contract value should be reduced to Rs 250 crore (Rs 2.5 billion).
Earlier this month, market regulator Sebi had given go- ahead to the disinvestment department's proposal to give preference in share allotment to those PSUs located in states in which Neyveli's generating units were located.
The share of public sector undertakings (PSUs) in the total market capitalisation of listed companies--at an all-time low of 10 per cent currently --- may get a leg-up from the government's divestment push. Recently the government announced the successful sale of national carrier Air India to Tata Sons, India's first privatisation of a PSU since 2002-03. The transaction is expected to be completed by December.
Govt seems to bullish to meet its disinvestment target in current fiscal.
Out of nearly 30 public sector undertakings and assets under 'strategic sale' plan, only the ONGC-HPCL plan has been completed
As many as 20 central public sector enterprises and their units are at various stages of strategic disinvestment, while six are being considered for closure or are under litigation, Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur said on Monday.
'A heavy tanker takes time to move, but when it starts rolling, it's difficult to stop it,' Indian Hotels CEO Puneet Chhatwal tells Shyamal Majumdar.
Pawan Hans, Dredging Corp on list to meet target of Rs 800 bn for 2018-19
According to the officials privy to the development, Centaur Hotel, owned by the Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), has submitted a bill of nearly Rs 3 crore to the home department for over 100 days of boarding and lodging of the detenues.
Kurukshetra University Kurukshertra and India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) have announced admissions to a degree in hospitality and business management.
With the country racing to meet the Commonwealth Games deadline, the year 2007 saw the tourism industry bargaining tax sops for budget hoteliers and those wishing to double up their homes as 'bed-and-breakfast' inns to cater to the big rush.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld the previous National Democratic Alliance regime's decision to divest Hotel Agra Ashok and said it was a policy decision of the government.\n\n
However, Azad said he personally did not favour capital punishment.
'And no one expected the case to be detected, because there was nothing.'
The inquiry will bring under a scanner Arun Shourie, the then disinvestment minister, and Bharat Hotels Chairperson Jyotsna Suri.
It was during his tenure that Air India made its first operating profit of Rs 105 crore in FY17 since the merger of Indian Airlines and Air India in 2007.
Centre working on open-ended lease agreement to enablesale of property at the end of the agreement period
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