|
GBTA Board of Directors Spotlight
As India’s Business Travel Market Expands, GBTA’s Role Grows Stronger
In this feature series, GBTA's Board of Directors share their perspectives on topics that matter most to members, the industry and the way forward for business travel. Today's guest author is Board member, Amarnath Lal Das, India Travel Lead and Global Crisis and Compliance at Accenture Solutions PVT. LTD.
When it comes to business travel, India is experiencing a dynamic shift. Economically, the country is a major global player driven by technology, manufacturing, and services, and corporate travel demand has rebounded post-pandemic. Companies are prioritizing in-person meetings to build trust and drive growth, while organizations are rethinking travel policies to balance cost efficiency, employee well-being, and sustainability.
GBTA also highlights India as one of the fastest growing and most dynamic business travel markets globally. In fact, according to the 2025 GBTA Business Travel Index, India is ranked sixth globally in business travel spending and projected to reach $48.3 billion USD in 2026, a year-over-year increase of 12.5%. What’s more, according to a study by GBTA and Visa, Indian travel buyers indicated an increase in their programmes for both domestic (69%) and international business travel (68%).
And there’s still plenty of room for growth: the study also found that only 38% of those surveyed rate the maturity of their travel programmes a nine or 10 out of 10, indicating additional opportunities for enhancements.
GBTA’s role in India is becoming increasingly important. As the country’s corporate travel ecosystem matures, companies are looking for guidance around travel program management, payment systems, traveler experience, sustainability, duty of care and policy development.
This is why the organization relaunched GBTA India – an extended arm of the APAC region – in 2024 to support this expansion and focus on building industry capability, standardization, and global connectivity. I am extremely proud to have witnessed the significant increase in new members from India, which has grown to over 150 from only a negligible number a few years ago – and our goal is to keep growing.
Additionally, GBTA’s India Advisory Board, which is comprised of senior leaders from corporations and travel companies, has helped GBTA expand and create new avenues shaped by local strategy. They’ve also taken on a significant role in fostering industry networking opportunities such as the GBTA India Summit in Gurgaon last November and a regional Business Travel Forum in Hyderabad last month. Both events were well attended and balanced with an almost even split of buyers and suppliers, which shows industry appreciation on innovative topics and exposure.
With the country’s rapid economic expansion and international integration, business travel is more than a support function: it’s a strategic connection between global commerce, collaboration and innovation. GBTA’s role in India is becoming increasingly central in helping the industry navigate that growth through shared knowledge, professional development and a truly global community.
|
