India Now the Spiritual Capital

Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was elected to the Lok Sabha from Rajasthan's Jodhpur after he defeated Vaibhav Gehlot, the son of former chief minister Ashok Gehlot, by a margin of 2.74 lakh votes in the 2019 general election.

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He served as the general secretary of Seema Jan Kalyan Samiti, an organization dedicated to strengthening national security by developing border towns and villages. He was instrumental in building a second line of defence that consisted of civilians residing near the border area of Rajasthan, by setting up 40 schools and four hostels in the region.

Shekhawat is also credited with launching the first coal gallery at the National Science Centre last year. He talked to Surya S Pillai of The Statesman on the sidelines of the Vedaaranya Heritage and Healing (VHAH) Festival 2025 about the changing dynamics of the country's tourism sector, the Maha Kumbh, and importance of heritage preservation.

Q. According to the latest data, the tourism sector contributes a mere 5.6 per cent to India's GDP. As the Minister of Tourism, where do you think we are lacking in exhibiting our true potential in front of the world?

A. India holds maximum potential in the tourism industry because no other country, except the United States, has this kind of variety to offer in terms of the topography and other factors. In other words, India has mountains, rivers, forests, deserts, palaces, forts, historical and culinary heritage, among others - everything a person can desire for!