Veteran tourism professional Naveen Kundu’s new book calls for a bold narrative shift, expert-led governance, and modern communication to unlock India’s untapped tourism potential by 2047
As global tourism undergoes a profound structural reset, a new book argues that India stands at a decisive crossroads—abundant in heritage and cultural depth, yet far from realizing its full economic promise. Reclaiming Incredible: A Blueprint of India Tourism’s Unclaimed Throne, authored by tourism veteran Naveen Kundu, presents a compelling and unapologetic roadmap to transform India into a trillion-dollar tourism powerhouse by 2047.
Positioning India as an “unclaimed throne” in the global travel economy, the book moves decisively beyond conventional travel writing and destination promotion. Instead, it offers a strategic, policy-driven, and communication-focused framework aimed at repositioning India from a primarily spiritual destination to a globally competitive tourism economy. Kundu argues that despite unparalleled civilizational wealth, India continues to capture only a modest share of global tourism flows.
At the core of this gap, the author identifies a narrative failure rather than a resource constraint. According to the book, India has long relied on fragmented storytelling, dated marketing tools, and generic campaigns that fail to resonate with today’s experience-driven, digitally native global traveler. Kundu introduces what he terms the “Make Noise” mandate—a call for India to radically modernize its tourism communication and branding strategy.
The book advocates moving away from static brochures and predictable slogans toward sophisticated, technology-led storytelling that speaks directly to international travelers, global travel influencers, foreign tour operators, and event planners. Equally central is Kundu’s insistence on narrating the “Story of Bharat.” He urges a shift away from monument-centric and post-invasion narratives toward a deeper, more authentic portrayal of India’s pre-invasion civilizational heritage, rooted in Vedic wisdom, indigenous knowledge systems, and ancient innovation.
Another key pillar of Reclaiming Incredible is its focus on the untapped potential of MICE tourism—Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions. In a chapter titled India’s Unfinished Business, Kundu positions large-scale global conventions as a critical economic and diplomatic lever. He argues that hosting the world’s biggest events requires not only infrastructure, but also coordinated policy intent, international advocacy, and institutional agility.
Looking ahead to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the book proposes a fundamental overhaul of India’s tourism governance architecture. Among its boldest recommendations is the creation of Central and State Tourism Boards that are entirely agnostic of bureaucratic structures. These boards, Kundu suggests, should be led by industry professionals and global experts rather than career administrators, enabling faster decisions, data-driven outcomes, and global competitiveness.
The economic ambition outlined in the book is substantial. Kundu presents a roadmap to double tourism’s contribution to India’s GDP to 10 percent, create nearly 200 million jobs, and position India firmly among the world’s top five tourism destinations. The book frames tourism not as a soft sector, but as a strategic engine of national growth.
“India must stop whispering its potential and start shouting its truth,” Kundu asserts, calling for a modern marketing machinery capable of narrating India’s story with the confidence and sophistication demanded by the 21st century.
Reclaiming Incredible is positioned as essential reading for policymakers, tourism boards, industry leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors. More than a book, it serves as an intellectual foundation for reimagining India’s place on the global tourism map.
The book is available on Amazon and Kindle in both paperback and digital formats. Naveen Kundu brings over 35 years of experience in tourism and hospitality and is deeply committed to redefining India’s global footprint while mentoring the next generation of travel leaders.
