Like in past years, the Mahakumbh mela promises to be a money spinner this time too. From a milkman to a company operating helicopters, the event generates revenue from varied sections.
Uttar Pradesh Industrial Development Minister Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi claims that Prayagraj, earlier known as Allahabad, would earn over ₹2 lakh-crore revenue from the Mahakumbh 2025.
The UP chapter of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) estimates that the revenue generated by basic items required by devotees during the meal would be around ₹17,310 crore.
Among other things, groceries would generate ₹4,000 crores, edible oils ₹1,000 crore, vegetables ₹2,000 crore, beds, mattresses, bedsheets and other household goods ₹500 crore, milk and other dairy products ₹4,000 crores, hospitality ₹2,500 crore, travel ₹300 crore, boatmen ₹50 crore revenue during the mega fair.
Praveen Khandelwal, secretary-general of CAIT, who is also the BJP MP from Chandni Chowk in Delhi, said: “Mahakumbh will witness large-scale economic and trade activities. An estimate suggests that with an average expenditure of ₹5,000 per person, the total spending will exceed ₹2 lakh crore. This includes spending on hotels, guesthouses, temporary accommodations, food, religious items, healthcare, and other services.”
The last Mahakumbh held in 2013 generated a revenue of around ₹12,000. The Kumbh Mela 2019 generated ₹1.2 lakh crore, according to a study by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Economic activities associated with the Kumbh generated employment for over 6 lakh workers in 2019 across various sectors, reports said.
The revenue generated by puja items alone is expected to be around ₹2,000 crore while the flower trade at the 45-day mela would be an estimated ₹800 crore, according to CAIT.
Alok Shukla, president of the UP chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), calls the Maha Kumbh a “golden opportunity” for local businesses, with “revenues equivalent to one year’s worth of business compressed into two months.”
The hospitality industry also expects a boom. For instance, the luxury tents are priced between ₹18,000 and ₹20,000 a night. Premium accommodations are priced at ₹1 lakh a night for two guests. With demand high on auspicious bathing days, all 44 super-luxury tents at Sangam Nivas are sold out, according to UP government officials.
The Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (UPSTDC) has four categories of tents — Villa, Maharaja, Swiss Cottage, and Dormitory — with prices ranging from ₹1,500 a night for dorms to ₹35,000 for the high-end ones, according to reports.
“The Mahakumbh is a huge world-level event where the revenue generation from the hotel industry separately cannot be estimated, Uttar Pradesh Hotel and Restaurants Association general secretary Garish Oberoi said.
The highlight of the services at the Mahakumbh is the helicopter service. The service is expected to earn about ₹3.5 crore a day on average, catering to 7000 pilgrims over 45 days at a rate of ₹5000 per trip for each pilgrim. According to reports, the helicopter service would earn over ₹157 crore in 45 days.
The Uttar Pradesh government is spending an estimated ₹7,500 crore to organise the mega religious event.
In the 2024-25 state budget, the Yogi Adityanath-led government allocated ₹2,500 crore for organising the Mahakumbh. The amount was ₹2,500 in the 2023-24 budget and ₹621.55 crore for the financial year 2022-23. The Centre has approved a special grant of ₹2,100 crore for the Mahakumbh.
The UP government had allocated ₹4,200 crore for the 2019 Kumbh Mela while the previous state government had spent around ₹1,300 crore for organising the Mahakumbh in 2013.
The Kumbhmela nodal officer, Vijay Anand, said that the Uttar Pradesh government is projected to earn over ₹25,000 crore through taxes, rentals, and other charges from the event. However, the total financial transactions at the Mela site are anticipated to be significantly higher, ranging between ₹2 lakh crore and ₹3 lakh crore.
“The earnings of small-scale vendors, such as tempo operators, rickshaw pullers, flower sellers at temple sites, those selling memorabilia, boat operators, and even hotels, will contribute significantly to the local economy," Anand said.
(By arrangement with livemint.com)
