Tourism Infrastructure Development in India

India’s tourist destinations don’t get built by one big scheme. They get built by six smaller ones, working together.

IndEco0211

2014-15

Two Flagship Schemes

Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD both launch

2020-21

SASCI Launched

50-year interest-free loans to States begin

EARLY 2023

Swadesh Darshan 2.0

The scheme is revamped for sustainable tourism

21 JUL 2026

117 Projects Confirmed

₹5,756.62 crore sanctioned in 2 years, Parliament told

₹3,295.76 crore of ₹5,756.62 crore: the SASCI scheme alone accounts for well over half of all recently sanctioned tourism-infrastructure funding.

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📑 Contents

1Timeline
2Must Know
3Good to Know
4Test Yourself
5Great to Know
6Current Affairs

Timeline

2014-15: The Ministry of Tourism launches both Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD.
2020-21: The SASCI scheme begins, offering States 50-year interest-free loans for capital projects.
Early 2023: Swadesh Darshan is revamped into Swadesh Darshan 2.0, for sustainable and responsible tourism.
21 July 2026: Parliament is told 117 tourism-infrastructure projects, worth ₹5,756.62 crore, were sanctioned over the past two years.

Must Know

India’s tourism infrastructure is largely built through Central Financial Assistance to State and Union Territory governments, under several distinct schemes.
Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) were both launched in 2014-15. Swadesh Darshan funds theme-based tourist circuits; PRASHAD focuses specifically on pilgrimage sites.
Swadesh Darshan was revamped into Swadesh Darshan 2.0 in early 2023, shifting focus toward sustainable and responsible tourism development.
The SASCI scheme (Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment) began in 2020-21. Its tourism component funds “Iconic Tourist Centres” through 50-year interest-free loans to States.
Other schemes include the Challenge Based Destination Development Scheme, Assistance to Central Agencies (ACA), and DA-JUGA, a sub-scheme funding tribal homestays.
On 21 July 2026, the government confirmed to Parliament that 117 projects had been sanctioned across these schemes, in FY 2024-25 and 2025-26 combined. Together they were worth ₹5,756.62 crore.
Of this total, SASCI accounted for ₹3,295.76 crore, the largest single share. Swadesh Darshan 2.0 followed, at ₹1,565.62 crore.
The Ministry also runs 21 Institutes of Hotel Management as central training bodies. It also runs the Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management and the Indian Culinary Institute.

Good to Know

The Incredible India Digital Platform was revamped and relaunched in September 2024. It offers multi-language content and integrated booking for flights, hotels, cabs, and ASI monument tickets.
India’s e-Visa facility now covers 9 sub-categories, and is available to nationals of 174 countries.
The Ministry runs a 24×7 multilingual Tourist Helpline. It also certifies guides through the Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Certification programme.
Under RCS-UDAN, the regional air connectivity scheme, 53 specific tourism routes have been identified for improved air access.
The Ministry has formulated National Strategies for several niche categories: rural tourism, MICE tourism, adventure tourism, eco-tourism, and medical and wellness tourism.
Sub-brands like “Meet in India” (for MICE tourism) and “India Says I Do” (for destination weddings) support this niche-tourism push.

Test Yourself

Great to Know

These infrastructure schemes work alongside the India Tourism Development Corporation, a separate central public sector body. See IndGov0037 — ITDC (India Tourism Development Corporation).
Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD serve different purposes, despite both dating to 2014-15. Swadesh Darshan builds entire themed circuits; PRASHAD focuses narrowly on individual pilgrimage and heritage sites.
A sanctioned project’s own cost varies enormously by scale. Small “Vibrant Village Programme” projects near the border can cost under ₹5 crore, while a single SASCI project can approach ₹100 crore.
Beyond funding, the Ministry has also issued a Model Adventure Tourism Safety Framework, reflecting a policy focus on tourist safety alongside pure infrastructure spending.

Current Affairs

A 31 July 2026 PIB backgrounder put tourism’s scale in context. It contributed ₹15.73 lakh crore to GDP in FY 2023-24 — 5.22% of the economy — and supported 84.6 million jobs. (Source: PIB)
It also gave the original Swadesh Darshan scheme’s own tally, separate from Swadesh Darshan 2.0. That’s 76 projects sanctioned, worth ₹5,295.24 crore, across 14 thematic circuits. (Source: PIB)
75 of those projects are already complete. (Source: PIB)
PRASHAD has sanctioned 54 projects worth ₹1,726.24 crore. The Challenge-Based Destination Development scheme has sanctioned 37 projects worth ₹687.99 crore. (Source: PIB)
On connectivity, the next regional air-connectivity phase, Viksit UDAN, carries a ₹28,840 crore outlay. It targets over 100 new aerodromes, and 200 helipads. (Source: PIB)
On 27 July 2026, the Tourism Ministry signed an MoU with Air India, to jointly promote India under the “Incredible India” brand. Like the Google MoU, it carries no financial commitment on either side. (Source: PIB)
Plans include joint global campaigns, and possible branding on Air India’s aircraft livery, boarding passes, and in-flight media. A Joint Working Group will oversee this, over an initial 2-year term. (Source: PIB)
On 20 July 2026, Minister of Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat gave this update in a Lok Sabha written reply. He confirmed 117 projects, worth ₹5,756.62 crore, had been sanctioned over the past two years. (Source: PIB)
Named projects include the Buddhist Meditation and Experience Centre at Bodh Gaya (₹165.44 crore), under Swadesh Darshan 2.0. Another is the Loktak Lake Experience in Manipur (₹89.48 crore), under SASCI. (Source: PIB)
Rishikesh’s rafting base station received the maximum SASCI sanction of ₹100 crore, alongside a similarly sized project in Belagavi, Karnataka. (Source: PIB)
The same reply also detailed the government’s wider tourism push. It cited 53 identified RCS-UDAN routes, e-Visa access for 174 countries, and a September 2024 relaunch of the Incredible India Digital Platform. (Source: PIB)
On 30 June 2026, the Tourism Ministry signed an MoU with Google India. It aims to boost digital promotion of Indian tourism, using AI and data-driven insights. (Source: PIB)
The partnership is non-commercial, non-binding, and non-exclusive, with no financial implications for either side. It also includes training for Ministry officials, on digital marketing and AI tools. (Source: PIB)
The same day, NITI Aayog and the Tourism Ministry launched a report, “Unlocking Growth in Tourism and Hospitality Sector.” It maps regulatory reforms, for accommodation, homestays, and tour operators. (Source: PIB)
The report also covers VISA-related reforms, and tourism infrastructure approvals. Its goal is easing compliance, to attract more tourism investment. (Source: PIB)
On 22 June 2026, the Tourism Ministry held an industry consultation on ease of doing business. Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reforms, to make India a globally competitive tourism destination. (Source: PIB)
Proposals discussed included shifting hotel classification from inspection-based to self-declaration-based assessment, and an “Entity Locker” for sharing tourism-sector documents digitally. (Source: PIB)