Industry leaders from BCD Meetings & Events, Escalent, Expedia Group, MakeMyTrip, Taj Hotels, and more will examine the forces reshaping travel across India and South Asia, alongside the inaugural ITB India Leadership Roundtable with Simon-Kucher, bringing senior leaders together to explore India’s evolving role in global tourism. 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.
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.
“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.”
