- The inaugural edition of the Creative Economy Conclave 2026, held today at HITEX Exhibition Centre, Hall 4, Hyderabad, brought together some of India’s most influential voices from the events, entertainment, media, tourism, creator, and cultural sectors to discuss the growing importance of the Orange Economy and its role in shaping India’s future.
Organized as part of the World Events Economy Week (WEEW), the conclave served as a first-of-its-kind platform for industry leaders, policymakers, creators, artists, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders to explore opportunities within the rapidly evolving creative economy ecosystem.
The event witnessed participation from prominent industry leaders including Dr. Annurag Batra, Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, BW BusinessWorld; Sabbas Joseph, Co-Founder, Wizcraft International Entertainment; Shaju Ignatius, CEO, Laqshya Media; Harinder Singh (Harry), Chairman, Percept Live; along with leading artists and creators including Smita V, singer, entrepreneur and cultural ambassador, and Gitikka Ganju Dhar, one of India’s most celebrated event hosts and communication experts.
Representing the Government of Telangana, Mr. Sriram Karri, Director Media and Communication, Govt of Telangana, highlighted the State’s commitment towards strengthening tourism, events, culture, and experience-led economic development. He shared the government’s vision to position Telangana as one of India’s leading destinations for tourism, conventions, live events, cultural experiences, and creative enterprises through a series of progressive initiatives and infrastructure-led interventions.
Sri Sriram Karri, Director (Media and Communications), Govt. of Telangana; in his address said, The three important aspects of Building Brand Hyderabad and its connection with events are these: people moved from the forests and created villages and tribal hamlets, but man created cities. The creation of cities is a defiant statement of humanity.
Villages and cities represent two states of mind in a paradigm. We need to understand this if we want to build the brand of the city and take events to the next level. Bring events to the city that can capture the imagination of the world. Do you, as event managers, have the wherewithal to create an event matching the FIFA World Cup in Hyderabad, one that people across the world will watch live? The Government’s vision is not only to make it possible but also to work with you to make it happen.
If people from across the country and the world are to come to Hyderabad, the city must have the capacity to constantly create opportunities and empowerment. How do we fulfil the aspirations needed to achieve this? What makes a city great? Two things define it: monuments and events. Do we have a great marathon that the whole world knows about, or a music event in Hyderabad that people travel from across the world to attend? Do we have a vibrant theatre culture or a set of sporting events known around the world? The answer is no to all of these. Is it possible to have them? Yes.
