In a significant step towards strengthening Maharashtra’s position as a leading destination for events and live experiences, a high-level meeting was held at the Mantralaya Building in Mumbai between representatives of the Event Industry and senior officials of the Government of Maharashtra.

The Event Industry delegation was represented by Ankur Kalra, General Secretary of the Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA), along with Anil Makhija (BookMyShow), Harshal Kothari (Vice President – West, EEMA), Shaju Ignatius, Vinod Janardhan, Deepak Pawar, and other senior industry stakeholders.

The meeting was chaired by Mr. Brijesh Singh, Principal Secretary to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Director General, Information & Public Relations, who led a comprehensive discussion on the opportunities and challenges facing the event ecosystem in the state.

A key focus of the meeting was identifying ways to accelerate the growth of Maharashtra’s event industry by addressing administrative and operational bottlenecks, including the complexities arising from multiple permissions and approvals required across government departments.

One of the most significant outcomes of the discussion was the decision to work towards establishing an online single-window permission system for events in Maharashtra. The proposed platform is expected to be integrated with the national single-window portal currently being developed by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, creating a more streamlined and efficient approval process for event organizers.

The meeting also covered several other important industry concerns, including:

• Development of a single window portal for simplifying of Event related permissions in Maharashtra 

• Availability and development of quality event venues

• Coordination among multiple government departments

• Labour-related challenges

• Music licensing issues

• Regulatory and operational barriers impacting the growth of the sector

Industry representatives appreciated the proactive and solution-oriented approach demonstrated by the Maharashtra Government and expressed optimism about the state's commitment to fostering a more business-friendly environment for events and live entertainment.

"The Maharashtra Government demonstrated a highly positive and progressive approach towards the event industry. The intent to simplify permissions through a single-window mechanism has the potential to make Maharashtra one of the most event-friendly states in India. Such reforms will significantly contribute to the growth of the Orange Economy and support the vision laid out by the Hon’ble Prime Minister for the creative and experience sectors. EEMA wholeheartedly welcomes this initiative and hopes that similar measures will be adopted by other states across the country." quoted Ankur Kalra, General Secretary, EEMA