The company, a Thomas Cook subsidiary, is expanding beyond corporate meetings and incentives into the conferences and exhibitions space. Photo Credit: iStock/kasto80
SOTC Travel has expanded its meetings and events portfolio with the launch of a dedicated Professional Conference Organiser (PCO) and Exhibitions Division.
The new business unit will provide end-to-end services covering conference planning, medical and scientific congresses, association meetings, delegate registration, speaker management, abstract and poster management, sponsorship and exhibition management, venue sourcing, travel and accommodation, visa facilitation, event technology, hybrid and virtual events, and on-site operations.
The company said the division will initially target the healthcare, pharmaceuticals, technology, BFSI, manufacturing, education and public sectors, with a focus on Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai and Kolkata.
The move comes as India continues to invest in convention infrastructure and seeks to attract more international association meetings through initiatives such as the Meet in India campaign and the National Strategy for the MICE Industry. SOTC said the dedicated division was established to meet growing demand for specialised conference and exhibition management backed by its existing travel ecosystem.
S.D. Nandakumar, president and country head – Holidays and Corporate Tours, SOTC Travel, said: “Over the years, we have built a strong MICE business and established ourselves as a trusted partner for corporates across India. The launch of our PCO & Exhibitions division is a natural progression of that journey and reflects the evolving needs of our clients.”
He added: “As conferences become more strategic platforms for collaboration, innovation and knowledge exchange, there is a growing need for specialised expertise and integrated execution. With a dedicated team focused on conference and exhibition management, backed by SOTC's extensive MICE and travel ecosystem, we are well-positioned to support associations, corporates, institutions and government organisations in delivering world-class events while creating long-term value for our stakeholders.”
Established in 1949, SOTC Travel is part of Thomas Cook (India) Limited, which is owned by Fairfax Financial Holdings. The company already operates across leisure, business travel and incentive travel, with MICE forming part of its wider corporate travel offering.
The launch builds on the wider Thomas Cook India Group's growing presence in the business events sector. According to the group's latest business update, its MICE operations managed more than 125 groups during the second quarter of FY2025, including programmes ranging from 880 to 2,500 delegates across destinations in Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, the US, the UAE and Turkey, as well as domestic events across India.