Staff Reporter / New Delhi
In a major move to elevate India’s tourism landscape, the Ministry of Tourism has issued detailed operational guidelines for a new and ambitious initiative titled ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment – Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale’ (SASCI). The primary aim of this scheme is to transform select iconic tourist destinations across India into globally competitive, high-quality tourism hubs — not only through infrastructure development but also through strategic branding and international-level marketing.
This initiative is designed to ensure that a tourist’s experience at these destinations is world-class from start to finish. That means everything — from roads and connectivity to hygiene, hospitality services, sustainability, design aesthetics, and maintenance — will be reimagined and upgraded. Projects under this scheme will be selected based on proposals submitted by state governments, with strict parameters such as access and connectivity, existing tourism ecosystem, visitor capacity, long-term sustainability plans, and the overall potential impact of the investment.
In total, 12,817 new polling stations have already been added in Bihar, but in the context of tourism, under the SASCI scheme, the central government will financially support the shortlisted state-led projects. These projects must be completed within a maximum of two years, and the funding from the Government of India will be available up to March 31, 2026. The idea is to deliver tangible, high-impact results within a fixed timeframe, encouraging efficiency and innovation from participating states.
The Union Tourism Ministry emphasized that this scheme is not just about infrastructure but also about using expert inputs for design, creating sustainable operating models, and ensuring long-term benefits for both local economies and the national tourism sector. Projects that qualify under this scheme are expected to become examples of how India can offer world-class experiences without losing the unique cultural essence of each site.
Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, shared that this scheme is part of a broader strategy to boost India’s presence in global tourism markets. Alongside physical transformation, the Ministry continues its efforts to promote Indian destinations abroad through social media, global travel fairs, digital campaigns, and curated storytelling. These promotional efforts will now include the iconic sites developed under SASCI, adding to their international appeal.
Overall, this initiative signals a fresh direction in India’s tourism policy — one that combines scale, quality, speed, and sustainability. As states begin work on upgrading their selected sites, travelers can look forward to a new era of Indian tourism where destinations offer not only beauty and heritage, but also world-class infrastructure and global-standard visitor experiences.