Former Union Tourism Secretary Dr Lalit Panwar on Tuesday highlighted tourism’s transformative role as a driver of employment, entrepreneurship and inclusive growth, calling for stronger integration between academia, industry and skill development systems to harness India’s demographic dividend.
Addressing policymakers, entrepreneurs and members of the Indian diaspora, Dr Panwar; who served as Secretary, Ministry of Tourism under Prime Minister Narendra Modi; said tourism is “the only sector that creates jobs where no other jobs are possible,” citing examples from the deserts of Rajasthan to the high-altitude regions of Ladakh.
“With over 55% of India’s population below 35 years, the challenge is not opportunity but alignment. We must connect classrooms with the shop floor and education with enterprise,” he said.
A policy perspective shaped by experience
A retired IAS officer with extensive experience in tourism policy and governance, Dr Panwar played a key role in strengthening India’s global tourism positioning through heritage, experiential and high-value tourism..
Technology, youth and the future of tourism
Referring to technology’s growing influence, he noted, “Artificial Intelligence is a powerful tool, but Human Intelligence must lead it. Technology should empower our youth, not replace their relevance. He added that with the right alignment of skills, policy and enterprise, India can emerge as one of the world’s leading tourism destinations”.
Launch of “Jewels of India – Bharat Ki Shaan, Bharat Ka Abhiman”
The address took place at the launch of “Jewels of India – Bharat Ki Shaan, Bharat Ka Abhiman” by Maneesh Media, a diaspora publishing house founded in Jaipur in 1999 that has documented over 2,000 Indian families across 40 countries and published more than 70 books, now operating from Jaipur, New York and Toronto under Manish, Abhishek and Siddharth Kumawat.
