The grand halls of ITC Maurya, New Delhi, came alive with the vibrancy of ideas, cultural exchange, and industry pride as the ICONIC Tourism Summit 2025 unfolded in collaboration with TV9 Network. Organized by Red Hat Communications, the summit was more than a meeting of minds—it was a celebration of India’s growing stature as a global tourism powerhouse. The full-day event brought together distinguished policymakers, diplomats, industry leaders, innovators, and cultural ambassadors to discuss India’s tourism future and celebrate excellence at the prestigious ICONIC Awards 2025.
The morning conclave, themed “Innovation, Transformation, and Impact”, featured insightful sessions including “Influencing Itineraries: The Content Engine for Tourism Today,” “Dekho Apna Desh,” and “Creating Iconic Tourism Experiences.” Eminent speakers included Niharika Rai, IAS, Secretary & Commissioner Tourism, Government of Delhi; Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder & Group CEO, MakeMyTrip; Mugdha Sinha, Managing Director, ITDC; Shriji Huzur Dr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, King of Udaipur; Sandeep Dwivedi, Managing Director – India & Subcontinent, Amadeus; Anshul Sethi, Head of Sales – India, Indigo; and Yummi Talwar, CEO – South Asia, VFS Global.
Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Culture, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest of the grand ICONIC Awards ceremony, where renowned brands and individuals were felicitated for their excellence and contributions. The evening featured an insightful panel discussion with distinguished speakers, including Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister of Culture, Amitabh Kant, Former CEO of NITI Aayog & G20 Sherpa; Jyotsna Suri (Chairman & MD, Lalit Hospitality Group), Ishika Taneja (Spiritual Leader & Miss World Tourism India 2018), Manoj Adlakha (Founder & CEO, RedBeryl Lifestyle Services), Suman Billa (Additional Secretary & Director General, Ministry of Tourism), Sandeep Marwah (Chancellor, AAFT)
Apart from this, the iconic event was graced by several prominent guests, including many ambassadors and dignitaries who marked their esteemed presence such as H.E. Mary F.M. Mutuku (Kenya), H.E. Prof. Anil Sooklal (South Africa), H.E. Kamel Zayed Kamel Galal (Egypt), H.E. Aliki Koutsomitopoulou (Greece), H.E. Sinisa Pavic (Serbia), H.E. Lalatiana Accouche (Seychelles), H.E. Reuben Gauci (Malta), and other international dignitaries.
Eminent Jury for the awards included Vinod Kumar Duggal (Former Governor of Manipur & Mizoram), Shazia Ilmi (National Spokesperson, BJP), Rajiv Talwar (Former CEO & Chairman, DLF), Parineeta Sethi (Chief Editor, Global Spa India, Middle East & Peaklife), Nakul Anand (Former Executive Director, ITC Limited), Madhu Jain (Craft Revivalist), Kapil Kaul (CEO & Director, CAPA South Asia), Jacob Mathew (Co-ordinating Editor, TV9), Dilip Cherian (Founder, Perfect Relations), Balbir Mayal (Director, New Airways Pvt Ltd), Ashwani Lohani (Former Chairman, Railway Board & Air India), and Arvind Singh (Former Secretary of Tourism & Chairman, AAI).
The recipients of the awards were honored with the prestigious LEADERS AWARDS, recognizing their outstanding contributions and remarkable achievements in their respective fields.
· Effortless Visa Solutions – BLS International Services Limited
· Technology Innovation – GRN Connect Private Limited
· Travel collaboration + Media Publicity – LinkIN REP Pvt Limited
· Exceptional Conferencing – ALPCORD Network Travel and Conferencing
· Hospitality Excellence – ACCOR Hotels
· King of Heritage – SHRI JI HUZUR Dr Lakshyaraj Singh
· Pioneer Luxury Destination – TRAV N TOURS INTL
· Best Upcoming Destinations – I LOVE JAPAN
· Skybound Excellence – BIRD GROUP
· Innovative Hotel Management – MINOR Hotels
· Excellence in Destination Management – TRAVSTARZ Holidays & Destination Pvt Ltd
· Global Luxury Hospitality Sales – Outbound Marketing Pvt Ltd
· Asia’s visionary DMC leader – TRAVBULLZ India Pvt Ltd
· North East Hospitality – AIR IQ
In the evening, the grand ICONIC Awards ceremony was held, where renowned brands were felicitated and honored for their exceptional achievements, excellence, and contributions to the industry.
· Iconic excellence in aviation – Indigo
· Iconic International airline – Emirates
· Iconic luxury hospitality – Oberoi Hotels & Resorts
· Iconic Green Hospitality – ITC Hotels Limited
· Iconic Business Hotels – Sarovar Hotels Private Limited
· Iconic Luxury Vodka of 2025 – Kashmyr (Radico Khaitan)
· Iconic International Destination – Georgia – Thinks Stawberries
· Iconic International Destination Management Companies – Classic Destinations – Sri Lanka
· Iconic Global Visa Services – VFS
· Iconic Industry Technology – AMADEUS India
· Iconic Luxury Lifestyle Cart – Redberyl Lifestyle Services
· Iconic Work Culture Curator – INTERGLOBE Air Transport Limited
· Iconic Leader in Customer Satisfaction and Industry Excellence – Vinay Malhotra
· Iconic Hospitality Trailblazer – Meena Bhatia
· Iconic Leader Hospitality Consulting – Rajdev Bhattacharya
· Iconic Technology Innovator – Mr. Rajesh Magow
· Iconic Music Maestro – Ms. Radhika Chopra
· ICONIC Cultural Dance Maestro – Dr. Navina Jafah
· Iconic Visionary in environmental sustainability – Dr. Ruby Makhija
· ICONIC pulmonologist – Dr. Vivek Nangia
· ICONIC TRAILBLAZER in Indian Fashion – Ms. Kavita Bhartia
· ICONIC Culinary & Flavour Artist – Ms. Maryam Reshii’s
· ICONIC Trailblazing Paralympian – Mr. Pranav Soorma
· ICONIC youngest person to climb Mt. Everest & Mt. Lhotse GW – Mr Arjun Vajpai
· Iconic Advocate for change – Mr. Keshav Suri
· Iconic Pioneer in Cruises – Gautam Chadha
· ICONIC Literary legacy – Dinesh Nandini Dalmia
· ICONIC Master of Culinary Craft – Chef Suvir Saran
· ICONIC Customer Service in Car Rental – Deneb Pollux
· ICONIC BEACON of Brilliance 2025 – Dr. Jyotsna Suri
· ICONIC Changemaker of India Tourism 2025 – Mr. Suman Billa
· ICONIC Lifetime Achievement Award – Mr. K.B. Kachru
Key Quotes:
Mr. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister: “Tourism is one of the strongest pillars of India’s growth story, and forums like ICONIC 2025 are vital in shaping its future. I would like to appreciate Mrs. Jyoti Mayal for her consistent efforts and leadership in taking the tourism industry forward and creating opportunities for its sustainable development.”
Mr. Amitabh Kant, G20 Sherpa: “India stands at the cusp of a tourism revolution driven by sustainability, digitalization, and inclusivity. Platforms like ICONIC 2025 are vital in building a roadmap for a globally competitive tourism sector.”
Ms. Mugdha Sinha, MD, ITDC: “Tourism today is not just about destinations, but about creating meaningful journeys that enrich communities and cultures. Recognitions like ICONIC 2025 motivate us to innovate further and make India a global benchmark in hospitality.”
Mr. Suman Billa, IAS, Ministry of Tourism: “India has immense potential to become one of the world’s most preferred tourism hubs. Events such as ICONIC 2025 highlight the visionaries who are working tirelessly to strengthen the sector.”
Ms. Jyoti Mayal, CEO of Redhat Communications & Chairperson, Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council: “ICONIC 2025 is not just an event, it is a collective movement that brings together industry leaders, innovators, and policymakers to shape the future of tourism and hospitality.”
Echoing the sentiment, Raktim Das, Chief Growth Officer, TV9 Network, added:
“We are proud to partner with Redhat Communications for ICONIC 2025. At TV9, we believe in amplifying powerful narratives, and this summit exemplifies the spirit of innovation and collaboration in the tourism sector.” With its insightful morning sessions and a grand awards celebration in the evening, ICONIC 2025 firmly established itself as India’s most influential platform where ideas meet opportunities and excellence is recognized on a global stage.
