MUMBAI, FEB 23 : The Rs 5,000-crore Indian amusement, leisure and entertainment industry which has made quiet strides in the recent years, is in for a healthy growth in the coming years, felt the experts at the IAAPI’s 7th Annual Trade Show organised by Indian Association of Amusement Parks and Industries (IAAPI) in Mumbai.

Clark Robinson, executive director, Global Alliance, International Association of Amusement Parks and Attraction (IAAPA), who was present at the meet said, “The Indian amusement industry is going to see a significant growth and in a few years it will leap-frog and will be ranked on par with developed players.”

He felt that in terms of awareness, Indians are as good as the developed nations, but in terms of capabilities, they are still few years behind and inching at a fast pace.

Robinson attributed the growth in India on two main factors - increasing number of visitors creating newer opportunities and emergence of different types of games and rides in the country.

With the substantial investment of Rs 2,500 crore last year coupled with impressive growth rate of 25%, lots of FII’s and MNC’s have evinced interest in this segment, with this timely staging of the expo, more investments are on anvil, felt the experts. A day-long seminar was also organised as a part of this three day conclave focusing on the ‘Safety and Security’.

Experts from the industry discussed in detail about the different aspects surrounding safety. SM Bhatia, deputy director general (technical), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), who headed the sessions, reasoned the absence of specific standards for this segment, in a scenario where definite standards are prevalent widely across different industries.

If the things move at a right pace, BIS is hopeful of setting up a specific standard for the Amusement Park within a span of 12 months.

The expo was attended by thousands of visitors with the highest number of exhibitors till date from 15 different countries like US, China, Hong Kong, Canada, Belgium, Argentina, Spain and others.

The trade show brought together the equipment manufacturers, the park owners and park operators across India, and more recently across the world.