Big fat Indian weddings in full swing as COVID peters out

2.5m marriages in the next month to create a $40bn windfall

After delivering nearly 1.2 billion vaccine shots, India has opened the door to wedding parties of 200 to 250 people, and business is booming. (Photo by Kiran Sharma)

KIRAN SHARMA, Nikkei staff writer

November 27, 2021 12:01 JST

PALAMPUR (India) -- Hemraj Dogra, who owns a stunning resort in a valley surrounded by snow-covered mountains in the northern Indian hill state of Himachal Pradesh, is busy organizing elaborate wedding functions.

With India's vaccination success pushing COVID cases lower than they have been in a year and a half -- and as authorities ease pandemic-related restrictions -- Dogra has been receiving "a lot of interest" from those keen on tying the knot at his scenic resort in the town of Palampur, about 550 km from New Delhi.