The Hindu Business Line : `Wedding industry' is worth Rs 50,000 cr and growing

MATCH POINTS: Models display designer wedding garments to be presented at a `Vivaha 2004' exhibition during a promotional preview in Kolkata on Thursday. The wedding industry in the country is currently estimated at Rs 50,000 crore and is growing. `Vivaha' will have 80 national and international exhibitors. — Parth Sanyal

Kolkata , June 24

THE Indian `wedding industry' is currently valued at Rs 50,000 crore and is growing at 25 per cent annually, according to Mr Tarun Sarda, CEO of Vivaha Interactive, a wedding-centric annual exhibition.

Addressing a news conference on Tuesday to announce the dates of the `Celebrating Vivaha 2004' exhibition, Mr Sarda said the growth of the Indian wedding industry was being spurred by the desire of more people to make `style statements.'

While the elite want to organise gala weddings, they do not wish to face the hassles of organising them. They also do not want to get bogged down with visits to different suppliers of goods and services before exercising their options.

As such, Vivaha Interactive has taken the initiative to organise an annual exhibition where suppliers of wedding-centric goods and services are brought under one roof where they showcase their offerings. This year, Celebrating Vivaha 2004 will be held in New Delhi on August 6-9 and in Mumbai on October 21-24.

According to Mr Sarda, a total of 60 exhibitors from India and abroad participated in Celebrating Vivaha 2003. About 1.25 lakh visitors came to the exhibition that helped generate an estimated business of Rs 40 crore. This year, Celebrating Vivaha 2004 will witness the participation of 80 national and international exhibitors.

The exhibition will showcase offerings in terms of wedding venues, locales, outfits, jewellery, cosmetics, trousseaus for brides and grooms, honeymoon destinations, theme planners and wedding co-ordinators. Makers of premium watches, chocolates and candles as well as the tourism boards of Australia and Malaysia will also showcase their offerings.

North India is stated to be the biggest market for the wedding industry followed by Mumbai and Kolkata. As part of its business model, Vivaha Interactive sells space at the exhibition and organises media publicity for its participants. ``At the moment, we are pumping in money to build the Celebrating Vivaha brand. We hope to enjoy the returns three years from now,'' he said.

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`Wedding industry' is worth Rs 50,000 cr and growing

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