ITB India 2026 will take place at the Jio World Convention Centre, Mumbai, from 1–3 September 2026, bringing together key decision-makers and experts from the MICE, corporate travel, incentive travel, hospitality and travel technology sectors. At the heart of ITB India 2026 programme, the ITB India Conference 2026 will provide a platform for meaningful business conversations, knowledge exchange and industry collaboration, examining how changing traveller expectations, emerging technologies and evolving business models are influencing the next generation of travel.
“Success in today’s travel industry depends not only on building new business relationships, but also on understanding the trends and market forces driving change,” said Darren Seah, Executive Director, Messe Berlin Asia Pacific. “The ITB India Conference complements the business opportunities on the exhibition floor by providing a platform where industry experts can share insights, challenge perspectives and discuss the ideas shaping the future of travel across India and South Asia. By bringing together leaders from across the industry, ITB India continues to foster meaningful dialogue, strengthen collaboration and create new opportunities for growth.”
Industry leaders at ITB India explore the forces shaping travel
A comprehensive ITB India Conference 2026 programme will span two stages, the Knowledge & MICE Theatre and Tech & Experience Theatre, across four curated tracks: Knowledge, MICE & Corporate, Travel Technology, and Experiential Travel. The programme will bring together industry leaders and experts through presentations, fireside chats and panel discussions.
At the Knowledge & MICE Theatre, conversations will focus on the market forces influencing the travel industry and the changing priorities of corporate travel and MICE. “The Next Battlegrounds in Travel: A Fireside Chat with MakeMyTrip” will see Raj Rishi Singh, Chief Operating Officer – Flights, Corporate Travel, Gulf Countries & Marketing, MakeMyTrip, alongside Coney Dongre, Research Manager, Phocuswright, explore the role of artificial intelligence, distribution, experiences, partnerships and market expansion in the next phase of travel.
The evolving business travel landscape will also take centre stage in “Corporate Travel in the Age of Disruption: What’s Next?”, with Shenaz Kanorwalla, Associate Director – Head Business Travel and Events, Cipla; Devendra Saraiya, Executive Director – Procurement and Travel, Deloitte India; and Rakesh Negi, Head – Business Transformation & Customer Excellence, FCM Travel India, joined by moderator Deepesh Jethwani, Vice President – Corporate Travel, Tripjack, to address geopolitical uncertainty, economic pressures and evolving employee expectations.
At the Tech & Experience Theatre, discussions will turn to how technology and changing traveller preferences are creating new opportunities across the travel ecosystem. “Travel with Intent: How Values, Emotions and Purpose Shape the New Traveller” will bring together Daniel Dsouza, Co-Founder, DreamSetGo; Capt. M Chouhan, Chief of Staff & Chief of Flight Safety, SkyWaltz; and Scott Wegener, Head of Asia Pacific, Tripadvisor, to examine how changing values and motivations are influencing travel decisions and experience design.
Technology and new experience formats will further shape the conversation through “From Digital Adoption to Digital Advantage in Travel”, where Sandeep Dwivedi, Managing Director – Travel Sellers, India and the Subcontinent, Amadeus, and Nithyashree Sathyanarayanan, Associate Vice President – New Initiatives and Chief of Staff, The ePlane Company, explore how businesses can translate technology investment into competitive advantage. In “Meetings at Sea — MICE Cruising in India”, Jude D’Souza, Meeting & Events Leader, India, FCM Meetings & Events; SD Nandakumar, President & Country Head – Holidays & Corporate Tours, SOTC Travel; and Naresh Rawal, Senior Vice President – Sales & Marketing, StarDream Cruises India, will join moderator Nikhil Jeet, Director, Buzz Travel Marketing, to discuss opportunities for cruise experiences within meetings, incentives and corporate events.
Perspectives from across the travel ecosystem
Beyond these sessions, the wider conference programme will cover meetings and incentives, corporate travel, hospitality, travel technology, cruise, wellness and other emerging areas of the travel industry. Confirmed speakers include Harshad Donde, Country Director, India, BCD Meetings & Events; Rohit Kohli, Joint Managing Director, Creative Travel;Vivek Neb, EVP & Managing Director APAC & MEA and Global Head, Travel & Tourism, Escalent; Darshana Shirodkar, Senior Director – APAC Growth Markets, Expedia Group; Auptha Surlidev, Vice President & Head – Tourism, IDECK Limited; Sushmita Sarangi, Commercial Director, Taj Hotels, Head, J Wellness Circle; Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Georg Arlt, Executive Director, Meaningful Tourism Centre Ltd; Gaurav Chiripal, Founder & CEO, QuadLabs; Kamaldeep Singh, Content & Travel Experience Leader, Spotnana; Saurav Chakraborty, Founder & CEO, Travel Buddy; and Deepak Choudhary, Founder & President, WTTA – Worldwide Travel & Tourism Association.
Collectively, the ITB India Conference 2026 programme reflects the commercial and strategic developments influencing the future of travel across India and South Asia.
ITB India Introduces Inaugural Leadership Roundtable with Simon-Kucher
Extending its focus on high-level industry dialogue, ITB India 2026 will introduce the inaugural ITB India Leadership Roundtable, held in partnership with global strategy consultancy Simon-Kucher. The invitation-only forum will bring together senior leaders from across tourism, travel, hospitality, technology and destination development to examine India’s evolving role as both a major tourism destination and an increasingly influential global source market.
“India is entering an exciting new phase in its tourism journey, with its growing importance as both a destination and a source market creating significant opportunities for the industry,” said Lovrenc Kessler, Senior Partner, Simon-Kucher. “This makes it particularly timely to bring leaders from across the tourism ecosystem together for an open exchange on how India can translate this momentum into sustainable, long-term growth. We are delighted to partner with ITB India on this inaugural Leadership Roundtable and contribute our global perspective and insights to the conversation.”
The ITB India Conference and Leadership Roundtable form part of the wider ITB India 2026 programme, bringing together the leisure, MICE, corporate travel and travel technology communities for three days of business meetings, knowledge exchange and networking in Mumbai.
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