Marketing Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme — ₹3.5L Tourism Subsidy

The Marketing Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme is a Government of India subsidy run by the Ministry of Tourism. It sits inside the ministry's wider Overseas Promotion & Publicity (OPP) framework, and it exists for a single purpose: to help India's tourism trade afford the cost of selling itself in overseas markets.

International promotion is expensive. Flights, stall space at a travel fair, hotel nights and exhibition fees add up quickly, and those bills often sit beyond the reach of a mid-sized travel agency, a small homestay or a standalone restaurant. By paying back a substantial share of such spending, the scheme removes that barrier and lets smaller and medium-sized tourism enterprises compete for attention in key foreign markets. The wider aim is to lift the global visibility of the "Incredible India" brand and bring more foreign tourists into the country.

The scheme is open to tourism service providers that already hold Ministry of Tourism approval, and to the tourism departments of State Governments and Union Territory Administrations. There is no fixed application window — it runs through the year — and the money reaches applicants as reimbursement once an approved promotional activity has actually been carried out.

• Up to ₹3,50,000 per overseas tour or promotional activity
• 90% of economy airfare and 90% of international travel fair participation costs reimbursed
• Lodging covered for up to 5 nights at a maximum of ₹10,000 per night
• Online promotion: 50% of cost reimbursed, up to ₹1,00,000 per financial year
• Open to Ministry of Tourism-approved providers and State/UT tourism departments
• Rolling applications with no fixed deadline; support paid as reimbursement

Who can apply: the scheme is limited to tourism service providers that already hold approval from the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, or from their own State or Union Territory Tourism Department. That approval is the entry requirement; an application without it will not be considered.

Approved provider categories that qualify include:

• Travel agents and inbound tour operators
• Classified hotels, motels, guest houses and tented accommodation units
• Bed & breakfast units and homestays
• Standalone restaurants and convention centres
• Online aggregators

Revenue criteria for private providers: the scheme uses annual revenue to decide how many overseas promotional tours it will support. A provider recording a minimum annual revenue (termed "fee" in the guidelines) of ₹1.00 crore to ₹2.00 crore in either of the two preceding financial years — 2018-19 or 2019-20 are the examples given — may take part in up to two overseas promotional tours per financial year. A provider showing ₹2.00 crore or more in either of those two years qualifies for a maximum of three overseas tours annually.

Government departments: the Tourism Departments of State Governments and Union Territory Administrations are fully eligible, and the revenue-based conditions described above are waived for them.

Marketing Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme — ₹3.5L Tourism Subsidy is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

Marketing Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme — ₹3.5L Tourism Subsidy accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

A tourism service provider can claim up to ₹3,50,000 for one overseas tour or promotional activity. Inside that ceiling, the scheme reimburses:

• 90% of economy class airfare for travel between India and overseas markets, and for travel within a group of countries by air or rail.
• 90% of the cost of participating in international travel fairs and exhibitions, covering built-up or furnished stall charges, electricity, water charges and participation fees.
• Lodging for a maximum of 5 nights, capped at ₹10,000 per night.

State Governments and UT Administrations receive support of up to ₹3,50,000 for overseas travel shows and exhibitions, but that amount is restricted to stall-related costs, as their travel and daily allowances are normally met by their own government.

Online promotion is covered as well. For marketing tourism destinations and products in overseas markets — including digital content creation — the scheme meets 50% of the total cost, up to ₹1,00,000 per financial year. This digital component is available to both tourism service providers and government tourism departments.

Marketing Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme — ₹3.5L Tourism Subsidy is offered by Ministry of Tourism, a government body. As a government-backed subsidy, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India.

There is no competitive shortlisting round. Assessment happens in two verification stages, and the Overseas Marketing division of the Ministry of Tourism handles both.

Stage 1 — Prior approval. Before any overseas tour begins, the applicant submits the Annexure-I form. The division reviews it against the scheme's eligibility conditions, checks that the documentation is complete, and judges whether the proposed promotional activity is genuine, properly planned and consistent with the objective of promoting Indian tourism abroad. Only activities that clear this review may go ahead with the expectation of support.

Stage 2 — Reimbursement claim. Once the approved activity is over, the applicant files Annexure-II, III and IV. These are examined against the approved activity plan and the scheme's financial limits, with every expenditure proof, invoice and mandatory document verified. The Assistant Director General (Overseas Marketing) is responsible for ensuring compliance and processing claims within a reasonable time.

Two timelines govern the process: the prior approval request must be emailed to mda-tourism@gov.in at least 21 days before the planned tour, and the reimbursement claim must be submitted within 45 days of the activity's completion. Claims sent on paper are not accepted — the entire process is digital.

Before you apply to Marketing Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme — ₹3.5L Tourism Subsidy, keep the following documents ready:

• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.

Marketing Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme — ₹3.5L Tourism Subsidy is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹1L – ₹3.5L. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.