~ A first-of-its-kind initiative inviting India’s leading minds to champion international conference bids, strengthening Mumbai’s position as a global hub for business events and knowledge exchange ~

Mumbai: Jio World Convention Centre (JWCC) announces the launch of the Conference Ambassador Programme, a flagship initiative designed to partner with India’s Association Leaders and Industry Experts to help bring global conferences, congresses, and business events to Mumbai.

Supported by the Maharashtra Convention Bureau (MCB), with the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) as Knowledge Partner, the programme establishes a unified support network that identifies and equips leaders across industries to serve as Conference Ambassadors. While the Conference Ambassadors bring professional standing and vital association networks, JWCC will extend its expertise by managing the end-to-end bidding process, supporting relationship-building activities, and facilitating marketing initiatives to represent Mumbai on the global stage.

International conferences and congresses are among the world’s foremost platforms for advancing research and collaboration. Beyond their economic contribution, they provide a platform for global experts, researchers, policymakers, and decision-makers to exchange ideas and shape the future of their respective disciplines. According to the Events Industry Council’s 2026 Global Economic Significance of Business Events study, conducted with Oxford Economics, business events in 2025 brought together 1.65 billion participants across more than 180 countries and generated US$1.3 trillion in direct spending. Including indirect and induced impacts, the industry supported US$3.1 trillion in total business sales, US$1.8 trillion in total GDP and 24.2 million jobs worldwide.

These powerful figures provide policymakers, business leaders, investors and community stakeholders credible, current data needed to recognise business events as a driver of economic growth, workforce development and global competitiveness. For India, this opens a pathway to connect professionals and institutions with global expertise, strengthen international networks, and showcase Indian leadership alongside wider economic impact.

The Conference Ambassador Programme builds on the growing momentum around Maharashtra’s business events ecosystem, led by the Maharashtra Convention Bureau – India’s first state-led convention bureau, announced at IMEX Frankfurt 2025 in Germany – to attract and facilitate global events.

International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA), a global association representing the international meetings industry, joins as Knowledge Partner, bringing industry expertise and a strong international association network together to support Conference Ambassadors throughout the bidding process.

Since opening in 2022, JWCC has established a strong track record of hosting major international conferences and congresses in Mumbai. Its portfolio includes the World Congress of Accountants, International Baccalaureate Global Conference, ICANN Community Forum, Asian Seed Congress, International Federation of Landscape Architects Asia-Pacific Regional Congress, World Green Building Council Congress, WordCamp Asia, Global Fintech Fest , International Olympic Committee Session, and KubeCon + CloudNativeCon India, spanning professional communities across finance, education, technology, agriculture, architecture and sustainability.

Building on this portfolio, the Jio World Convention Centre has also secured a strong pipeline of future international congresses for Mumbai, including the International Congress on Occupational Health 2027, FDI World Dental Congress 2027, IDF World Dairy Summit 2027, URO Asia – Urological Association of Asia Congress 2028, World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology Congress 2029, World Congress of Anaesthesiologists 2030, and the 50th SICOT Orthopaedic World Congress 2030. These major wins demonstrate the opportunity to combine India’s professional expertise and international association networks with a coordinated destination bidding strategy.

Serving on a voluntary basis, Ambassadors identify prospective international association events, mobilise local industry support, contribute subject-matter expertise to bid documents, and represent proposals before international decision-making bodies. They are supported throughout by JWCC’s dedicated bidding team and the Conference Ambassador Grant, which provides financial assistance towards eligible bidding expenses, including bid preparation, international travel, site inspections, and other qualifying activities.

Expressing Maharashtra Tourism’s support, Mr. Sanjay Khandare, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Tourism, Government of Maharashtra, said, “The Conference Ambassador Programme represents an important step in advancing Maharashtra’s position in the global business events landscape. India’s steady progress in the ICCA rankings – from 37th in 2022 to 26th in 2025 – reflects the country’s growing potential as a destination for international conferences and congresses. Winning these events is about much more than bringing delegates to our cities; they create platforms for knowledge exchange, professional collaboration and innovation, while generating wider economic value across sectors. By enabling India’s leading association members and industry professionals to champion international conference bids, with the combined support of MCB, JWCC and ICCA through the process, the programme aims to bring many more global gatherings to Mumbai and create lasting value for Maharashtra.”

Open to active association members and industry professionals based in India, the Conference Ambassador Programme will assess applications on merit, considering each applicant’s ability to serve as the primary bid champion for an international conference, influence local and international stakeholders, and contribute meaningfully to a successful bid. Selected Ambassadors will receive access to a comprehensive suite of support, including bid assets, guidance, site inspection assistance, publicity, government relations, networking platforms, peer learning initiatives, and expert pitch coaching.

The Conference Ambassador Programme marks a long-term commitment to creating new opportunities for India’s association community to play a greater role in securing leading global conferences for the country. By bringing together professional expertise, strategic partnerships and world-class infrastructure, the programme aims to create enduring value for industries and institutions across Maharashtra and India.