Sai Aditya is bringing together a group of people to spearhead new experience development in India. He and his team are currently working on fusing active and passive experiences within a multi-format storyline. He is also an Independent Researcher with the University of Central Florida, researching the Experience Economy in India.
Until now, the “time well spent” side of the Experience Economy in India has found little or no mention in research literature and media coverage, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Here’s an overview of some examples of some of the most interesting experiences in India right now – and if you want to see more, click here for the longer version of this article.
1. A Religious Theme Park
More than any other country in the world, India has seen the rise of religious theme park projects. Taking advantage of the many religious sites and mythological stories India has, these parks are situated where the stories were historically based. The visitors to these parks are people and families who come to visit the religious sites. That way, numbers are fairly constant, with a peak during religious occasions.
2. A Culturally Themed Restaurant
Kingdom of Dreams, located in the north of India, is an experience format that many Indians have come to love over the past few years. It clubs live entertainment and dining with a completely themed environment around the many cultures that make up India. Drama and theatre being culturally inaccessible to many Indians, Kingdom of Dreams manages to provide a similar experience adding elements of food, music, and ambiance – a common denominator in many Indian experiences. It has also consistently featured on TripAdvisor’s Travellers’ Choice list for the past few years
3. A Jungle Book Safari
A notable example of themed travel in India would be the promotion strategy used by the 2016 Disney movie The Jungle Book. Since the story is based around a national park in Pench, Central India, leading travel company Taj Safari partnered with relevant organizations to create The Jungle Book Safari. This was an experience for movie and wildlife fans alike to immerse themselves in a natural jungle, this time with the help of a storyline.
4. An Interactive Music Museum
Integrating VR, AR and other technologies to better the whole experience is a trend catching up in many Indian museums. At the same time, the emergence of new themes and subjects in museums have attracted new audiences. Take for example India’s first interactive music museum, The Indian Musical Experience. Opened in 2019 in Bangalore, this museum explores the evolution of Indian music through interactive, multi-sensory exhibits. You can create your own music with the many instruments available and also witness a live rendition. The whole experience manages to achieve a balance between education and interactivity.
5. A Battle Royale Restaurant
PUBG Foodcity is a restaurant that takes on the wild craze around the Indian battle royale game PUBG. With the game very popular among young audiences, the restaurant is the go-to place for friends to soak in the environment they love seeing in the game. Apart from ordering food, customers can also engage in a live PUBG game, with the winner receiving mega discounts on his/her meal.
We’d love to hear about any incredible experiences that represent the Experience Economy in different parts of the world. If you’d like to tell us about experiences where you are, click here to email us.
