Military tourism has just taken off in India, thanks to the launch of Veer Yatra, an initiative by the Maharashtra Ex-servicemen’s Corporation (MESCO), which promises to spice up a vacation with on-locale narratives of real-life dare-devilry and heroism, while also providing a peek into the lives of the country’s defence forces.

On offer is a range of specially designed holiday packages that could take tourists to military training academies, battlefields, high-altitude pickets, mountain passes such as Nathu La and Zoji La or border posts along the Line of Control.

Adrenaline trips Others could be high-adrenaline adventure trips that could include military games, white-water rafting and crocodile sightings to be rounded off with local cuisine and campfires in British-era guesthouses.

The idea behind the venture is to not only inspire the youth and give them a glimpse of the country through “military eyes”, but also help ex-servicemen and war widows gain meaningful employment. “Military tourism is a well-established concept worldwide, but has not so far been explored in India in a structured way,” says Col (Retd) Suhas Jatkar, Managing Director, MESCO.

War and its intrigues are a part of folklore and the Indian military has a rich physical and emotional heritage that is not only worth showcasing, but will also provide a ringside view of how the borders are protected despite inhospitable terrain and hostile conditions. This could help inculcate a sense of patriotism amongst the youth, feels the Colonel.

Nine packages To start with, MESCO has designed nine packages, ranging from two days to eight days, with the cost varying from ₹6,100 to ₹42,990 per head. The destinations are as diverse as naval forts in coastal Maharashtra to Gangtok-Darjeeling in the Northeast to Amarnath in the North, where there is a helicopter ride thrown in.

There is also a plan to introduce a franchisee model under which ex-servicemen can be trained to design and operate small tourist modules in other regions. At present, tour leaders are being groomed and teams being put in place to provide information on packages and oversee ticketing.

“We hope that this enterprise will be a role model for ex-servicemen’s organisations in other States as well,” adds Lt Gen (Retd) D Shekatkar, who is on the MESCO board.

Asserting that Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar likes the idea of military tourism, Jatkar says that MESCO has approached the Ministry of Defence to permit tours to be taken into Jammu and Kashmir.

Established in 2004 mainly for the welfare of junior commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers and jawans, MESCO, which is a State government undertaking, currently has a strength of 12,000 ex-servicemen.

Various commercial activities have helped it achieve a turnover of ₹220 crore (from ₹5 crore at the outset).

Jatkar expects the new venture to have a two-year gestation period and bring in revenue only a couple of years from now.

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