THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
NEW DELHI, JUNE 30, 2026
Emphasising the transformative role of technology in
showcasing India's rich heritage to the world, Union Tourism and Culture
Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday said digital innovations have the
potential to create immersive experiences that redefine how global travellers
discover and engage with India's cultural and natural treasures.
The Minister made the remarks after the Ministry of Tourism
signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Google India Pvt. Ltd. to strengthen
the digital promotion of India's tourism destinations through artificial
intelligence, digital technologies, data-driven insights and capacity-building
initiatives. The MoU was exchanged in his presence in New Delhi.
"Digital technologies have the potential to create
immersive experiences that can showcase the glory and grandeur of India's
cultural sites to audiences across the world. By harnessing cutting-edge
digital technologies, we can transform the way travellers discover, experience
and engage with India's rich cultural and natural heritage," Shekhawat
said.
Describing the partnership as a significant step under the
Incredible India initiative, the Minister said the collaboration reflects the
government's commitment to adopting technology-driven strategies for tourism
promotion. He expressed confidence that the initiative would enhance India's
global tourism footprint, improve digital outreach and position the country as
a modern, accessible and globally competitive travel destination.
The MoU establishes a collaborative framework between the
Ministry and Google India across key areas such as digital tourism promotion,
knowledge sharing, capacity building and the adoption of emerging technologies
to enrich visitor engagement. The partnership will leverage Google's expertise
across its digital ecosystem to amplify the visibility of India's diverse
tourism destinations, cultural heritage and unique travel experiences among
domestic as well as international travellers.
Notably, the collaboration is non-commercial, non-binding and
non-exclusive, with no financial implications for either party.
As part of the initiative, Google's data-driven insights on
global travel trends, traveller behaviour and digital engagement patterns will
support evidence-based tourism promotion strategies. The collaboration also
includes specialised training and capacity-building programmes for Ministry
officials on digital marketing, campaign optimisation, content creation and the
application of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to
enable more targeted and measurable outreach.
The event was attended by Bhuvnesh Kumar, Secretary, Ministry
of Tourism; Suman Billa, Additional Secretary and Director General (Tourism);
senior Ministry officials; and Preeti Lobana, Country Manager and Vice
President, Google India, along with representatives from the technology
company.
Reaffirming their shared vision, the Ministry of Tourism and
Google India said the partnership would harness innovation and technology to strengthen
India's tourism ecosystem and promote the country as a preferred global travel
destination.
