The Indian Government yesterday while stressing it has taken several steps to position India as a global hub for live events by 2030, said three States/Union Territories have already so far implemented the Model Executive Order, 2026, aimed at streamline licensing and permissions for the sector.

Replying to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan said the Live Events Development Cell (LEDC), constituted in July 2025, has held four meetings and initiated measures to strengthen infrastructure, simplify regulatory processes, promote ease of doing business and develop a robust ecosystem for the live events sector.

The Minister said the government has identified the live events sector as “an important driver of economic growth, employment generation, tourism and cultural promotion.”

The LEDC, chaired by the Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, includes representatives of Central ministries and departments, State Governments, industry associations and other stakeholders.

Among the key outcomes, Murugan said an Execution Framework outlining a comprehensive strategy for the sector’s growth has been prepared and circulated to stakeholders.

An online system for live event permissions has also been made operational on the India Cine Hub (ICH) portal, providing a single digital workflow for applications, coordination, approvals, payments and inspections, along with time-bound processing, real-time tracking, digital payments and audit trails.

Responding to queries on the single-window clearance mechanism, the Minister said 29 States and Union Territories (federal administered regions) have designated nodal officers for live event permissions on the ICH portal.

However, he did not specify the number of event-related permissions processed through the portal till now, nor named the States or regions that have adopted the model rules.

Murugan said the ‘Model Executive Order for Streamlining Licensing and Permissions for Live Events in India, 2026’ was circulated to all States and Union Territories on March 13 this year.

He added that the Archaeological Survey of India has framed a standard operating procedure for organising live events at protected monuments and shared a list of 224 heritage sites for the purpose. (The image is a file photo)