Economic Survey shows the way to power India’s concert economy

.

• India's live entertainment sector crossed Rs 10,000 crore in revenues in 2024
• Survey urges streamlined permissions, heritage venues for events
• Single Window Mechanism proposed for easier event approvals, boosting concert economy

Did our AI summary help?

India can do far more to unlock the potential of its concert and live entertainment economy by streamlining permissions, opening up heritage venues for events and easing the participation of foreign artists, the Economic Survey 2025-26 said on January 29.

The Survey noted that live entertainment in India has staged a strong post-pandemic rebound, with the segment crossing Rs 10,000 crore in revenues in 2024.

The Survey places the concert economy within the broader framework of the “Orange Economy”—economic activity driven by creativity, culture and intellectual property, where value is derived primarily from ideas and artistic expression rather than physical goods.

The Survey noted that international evidence shows that live concerts are high-multiplier activities that generate economic value well beyond ticket sales.

“Globally, live music accounts for nearly one-third of total music revenues. In the United States, the live music industry generated over $130 billion and supported more than 900,000 jobs in 2019. In the UK, music tourism alone contributed £6.6 billion ($8.1 billion) in 2022—around 0.3 percent of GDP—highlighting strong spillovers to hospitality, transport and retail,” it said.

Creative industries contribute between 0.5 percent and over 7 percent of GDP.

The survey highlighted a shortage of large-scale live event venues, restrictions on foreign payments to overseas performers, and the requirement for 10-15 separate clearances for organising events.

To address these gaps, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is working on a Single Window Mechanism for Live Entertainment Permissions, including approvals from state governments. The Survey also suggested opening heritage monuments for events and easing visa and foreign-exchange approvals for international artists.

With better facilitation and integration into tourism and city-branding strategies, the Survey said, the concert economy could emerge as a meaningful driver of growth for media and entertainment, tourism and allied urban services.