The pilgrim’s progress

Over the last eleven years, India has experienced a remarkable transformation in how it presents, preserves, and promotes its cultural and religious identity, with tourism emerging as a powerful medium through which this civilizational revival finds expression. At the heart of this journey is the Modi government’s conscious and consistent effort to elevate India’s spiritual and cultural wealth to both national prominence and global admiration, blending the timeless with the modern in ways never seen before. What was once considered niche, fragmented, or even under-prioritized has today become a foundation of the country’s development and diplomatic vision. According to the Ministry of Tourism, there were 250.96 crore domestic tourist visits in 2023.

This represents a 44.98 per cent increase from 2022. In 2024, India’s religious tourism market was valued at approximately Rs. 17.6 lakh crores and is projected to reach Rs. 38.27 lakh crores by 2032, according to India Business & Trade. Through targeted infrastructure projects, massive beautification campaigns, digital enablement, and international outreach, the government has catalyzed a spiritual awakening not only in practice but also in policy. One of the most iconic symbols of this shift is the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, whose grand inauguration in January 2024 injected new life into the economy of eastern Uttar Pradesh and positioned Ayodhya as a future global spiritual tourism hub.

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The transformation of the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi is another defining example of the cultural revitalization, which now welcomes over 80,000 pilgrims daily. Similarly, the Mahakal Lok Corridor in Ujjain has resurrected the sanctity and scale of the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga precinct. These projects are part of a deliberate pattern that recognizes the spiritual geography of India as a living, breathing entity that deserves both preservation and world-class presentation. Supporting this vision is the PRASHAD scheme (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive), launched in 2015, which has funded more than 40 key pilgrimage sites across 24 states, spanning iconic destinations like Kamakhya in Assam, Amritsar in Punjab, Dwarka in Gujarat, and Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.

In parallel, the Char Dham AllWeather Road Project has enhanced year-round access to the revered Himalayan sites of Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, addressing both logistical and safety concerns while boosting the tourism economy of Uttarakhand. Further, the government has made special efforts to expand the Buddhist Circuit, connecting Lumbini in Nepal to Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar, and other sites associated with Lord Buddha’s life and teachings. The aim is not just religious tourism, but cultural diplomacy. The Ramayana Circuit, linking Ayodhya to Chitrakoot, Hampi, Rameswaram, and even Sri Lanka through proposed spiritual cruises and heritage trails, similarly aims to bridge myth, faith, and tourism.

One of the more recent and highly significant events underscoring this cultural thrust is the Global Spirituality and Wellness Summit held in Ujjain in June 2025, which brought together saints, scholars, health experts, and global spiritual leaders for a dialogue on how India’s traditional wisdom can offer solutions to modern mental and physical challenges. Events like these are a testament to how places like Rishikesh, Mysore, and Kerala are now drawing global seekers, reaffirming India’s place on the global spiritual map. In a country where almost every village has a temple, every river has a myth, and every mountain has a story, religious tourism in India is not just about visiting sites, but also about narratives, memory, and belonging.

What the Modi government has done over the last eleven years is to recognize and elevate this intangible heritage into a powerful asset that can unite, heal, employ, and educate. The digital push, with online darshan, mobile apps, multilingual signage, drone shows, and virtual experiences, has made spirituality accessible to tech-savvy youth and international audiences alike. At the same time, infrastructural upgrades like better roads, sanitation, rest houses, and lighting have ensured comfort for the elderly and rural pilgrims. Over the past six years, even IIM Indore has played a proactive role in shaping spiritual tourism, particularly across Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

In Ujjain, the institute partnered with the Mahakaleshwar Temple administration and the district authorities to craft a comprehensive 20-year strategic roadmap for crowd and traffic management, anticipating the massive 15 crore pilgrim footfall expected during Simhastha 2028 (up from 9 crore in 2016) This demonstrates IIM Indore’s strength in long term infrastructure and operations planning for major religious events. Further, IIM Indore actively contributed to Maha Kumbh 2025 by researching the impact of collective participation on well-being, identity, and cultural diversity. Using innovative psycho-social methods, the institute studied crowd dynamics, digital outreach, and experiential narratives, offering insights to enhance spiritual tourism and inform planning for future mass religious gatherings.

Meanwhile, in Ayodhya, the institute signed a landmark MoU with the municipal corporation in January 2021, applying Indore’s award-winning Swachh Survekshan model to develop the city as an international spiritual hub. It deployed its signature SAFAAI (SA is for Spreading Awareness, FAA stands for Facilitating Availability and Accessibility, while I is for Icchashakti) cleanliness framework, established information, education, and communication campaigns, and included the creation of Ayodhya’s Swachhata anthem. Through these initiatives, IIM Indore has demonstrated how rigorous management consulting, rooted in best practice civic models, can advance the twin goals of spiritual integrity and urban excellence, building the operational backbone for India’s emerging religious tourism corridors.

Looking ahead, the potential for cultural and religious tourism in India remains vast and largely untapped. There is an opportunity in deeper storytelling using museums, performances, festivals, and digital media to convey the meaning behind the rituals. Eco-conscious pilgrimages can be promoted to balance development with sustainability, especially in Himalayan and forested regions. Ultimately, India’s spiritual journey has made religious and cultural tourism not only a celebration of faith but also a powerful instrument of national resurgence.

(The writer is Director, IIM Indore.)