PALM AV-ICN Expo 2026 Opens with 1,000+ Global Brands as India’s Pro Audio, AV and Entertainment Lighting Industry Accelerates Towards an Immersive, Experience-Driven Future

MUMBAI : India’s professional audio, AV, lighting, live entertainment, and systems integration industry came together today for the 24th edition of PALM AV-ICN Expo 2026, organised by Informa Markets, at Bombay Exhibition Centre. Taking place from May 28–30, 2026, the landmark event brought together key stakeholders from across the Pro-AV ecosystem, highlighting the sector’s massive growth potential at a time when the Indian Pro-AV market is projected to reach USD 150 million by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 3.9%. This expansion is being driven by rising demand across live events, government projects, hospitality, education, houses of worship, digital content creation, and e-commerce-led visual engagement.

Showcasing the scale, innovation, and growing influence of India’s Pro-AV industry, PALM AV-ICN Expo 2026 brings together over 285 exhibitors and 1,000+ leading brands, reinforcing India’s emergence as a key global hub for professional audio, AV, lighting, and integrated technology solutions. Backed by a legacy spanning over two decades, the event continues to serve as a premier sourcing, networking, and knowledge-sharing platform for more than 42,000 industry professionals, system integrators, consultants, and decision-makers, while this year’s edition also features three days of high-impact conferences across the PALM and AV-ICN platforms with over 50 industry experts and thought leaders discussing future technologies, innovation trends, evolving industry practices, and the next phase of growth for the Pro-AV ecosystem.

Leading global and domestic brands including HARMAN (featuring JBL and Martin Professional), Yamaha Corporation, Sennheiser, Shure, Epson, Ahuja Radios, L-Acoustics, Martin Audio, Robe Lighting, Osram, Avid Technology, d&b audiotechnik, NovaStar, and Hikvision are showcasing state-of-the-art advancements in professional audio equipment, lighting technologies, and AV integration solutions at the expo.

The expo inauguration witnessed the presence of several distinguished industry leaders and dignitaries, including Mr. David Lynn, Chief Executive Officer, InD; Mr. Santana Davis, President, EESA (Event Equipment Services Association) and Managing Director, J Davis Prosound & Lighting; Mr. Sanket Rambhia, Managing Director, Xtreme Media; Mr. Siddhartha Chauhan, Founder and Managing Director, Mega Sound India; Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets India; and Mr. Anil Chopra, Founding Director, PALM AV-ICN Expo, among other eminent guests and industry stakeholders.

Mr. Santana Davis, President, Event Equipment Services Association (EESA) and Managing Director, J Davis Prosound & Lighting, said “The Indian concert and live entertainment industry is witnessing unprecedented growth, driven by the rapid rise of the concert economy and increasing investments in advanced audio, lighting, video and immersive event technologies. India is no longer following global entertainment trends but is emerging as a preferred destination for international artists and world class touring productions. This transformation is creating stronger opportunities across the event ecosystem while reinforcing the importance of professional standards, safety practices and industry representation. EESA  remains committed to strengthening and unifying India’s technical entertainment community to support the industry’s long term growth and global recognition.”

Mr. Sanket Rambhia, Managing Director, Xtreme Media, highlighted, “With a legacy spanning more than 2 decades in India’s LED display industry, the sector has emerged as a rapidly growing segment within the live events and visual technology ecosystem, driven by the rise of concerts, corporate events, weddings, political rallies, and large-scale entertainment experiences. India’s LED display market is currently valued at nearly Rs. 2,000 Cr and is growing at approximately 15%, with the rental LED segment contributing nearly 30% of the market and accounting for around Rs. 600 Cr to Rs. 650 Cr.  While India currently contributes only 4.5% of the global market, the industry is witnessing strong momentum and substantial long term growth potential. We project this specific segment to rocket from 200 million dollars to 3.2 billion dollars by 2035, representing a massive 15X growth over the next decade. Coupled with a global concert economy currently valued at roughly 143 billion dollars and expanding at a robust 15% to 20%, the financial potential of this industry is limitless.”

Mr. Siddhartha Chauhan, Founder and Managing Director, Mega Sound India, said, “Today, live entertainment is entirely driven by the demand for immersive experiences. Post-COVID, we have witnessed a monumental shift in the scale, technical requirements, and execution of live events. This evolution is incredibly prominent in the luxury wedding sector across cultural hubs like Udaipur and Jaipur. Driven by rapid infrastructural growth including expanding international airports and world-class hotel chains—what used to be simple entertainment has transformed into multi-day, multi-artist mini-festivals featuring 20 to 25 artists. We are at the absolute baseline of an unprecedented entertainment and AV explosion. To put the localized scale into perspective, the wedding market in a single state like Rajasthan alone is now valued at over 1,000 crores.”

Mr. Anil Chopra, Founding Director, PALM AV-ICN Expo, emphasized, “India’s music landscape has undergone an extraordinary transformation over the last 10 years, with live stage performances and concerts emerging as a powerful cultural and economic force across metro cities as well as tier 2 and tier 3 markets. From audiences of 20,000 and 30,000 at regional concerts to stadiums filled with over 1 lakh music fans, India’s concert industry has reached an unprecedented scale. For the past 20 years, PALM AV-ICN Expo has stood as the mother show for India’s professional sound and live entertainment industry, uniting the entire ecosystem from studio recording and live sound engineering to cutting edge stage technologies, speakers, amplifiers, and immersive audio solutions.”

Highlighting the transformation and long-term growth trajectory of India’s Pro-AV and experiential technology ecosystem, Mr. Yogesh Mudras, Managing Director, Informa Markets in India, said, “India’s professional audio, AV integration, and entertainment lighting industry is entering a high-growth phase, driven by the convergence of digital infrastructure expansion, experiential consumption, smart venues, and large-scale public and private investments in entertainment, retail, hospitality, education, and live events. With India’s live events industry projected to surpass INR 15,000 crore over the next few years and the Pro-AV market steadily expanding across enterprise, government, and experiential applications, the demand for integrated, intelligent, and immersive technology solutions is accelerating rapidly.

As part of this growth vision, we are also expanding the PALM brand footprint with the launch of PALM Expo Delhi in January 2027 at Bharat Mandapam. North India today accounts for nearly 40–45% of India’s AV hardware market, making it one of the country’s most significant growth regions for professional audio, visual, and lighting technologies. The Delhi edition will create a focused business platform closer to this rapidly expanding market and further strengthen industry engagement across North India.”

PALM AV-ICN Expo 2026 offers attendees an immersive mix of live demonstrations, hands-on learning, and industry-focused training experiences designed to showcase the latest advancements in Pro-AV technologies. The expo features advanced Demo Qubes presenting live product demonstrations, along with practical learning opportunities through the PALM EESA Rigging & Trussing Workshop. Enhancing the experience further, the event also includes CAVS (Certified Audio Video Specialist) Training, a focused 3-day upskilling program, the newly expanded NLabs showcase in Grande B and C, and the dynamic, sound-proofed HARMAN Live Arena dedicated to high-decibel sound reinforcement demonstrations.

PALM AV-ICN Expo 2026 features 15 insightful knowledge sessions led by more than 50 top industry experts, highlighting the latest advancements in sound, lighting, and AV technologies. The PALM Conference Programme covers important industry topics such as AI-driven studio automation, 3D immersive monitoring technologies, the shortage of skilled audio engineering talent in India, women’s representation in technical audio roles, the future of India’s live sound sector, and energy-efficient entertainment lighting. Simultaneously, the AV-ICN conference showcases engaging discussions on emerging technologies including LED Displays and Interactive Display Panels, Multicamera Switching, Open Architecture DSP, and the role of AI in AV.

Supported by leading industry bodies such as the Association of System Integrators and Retailers in Technology (ASIRT), Electronic Security Association of India (ESAI), All India Electronics Association (AIEA), Event Equipment Services Association (EESA), and the Audio Engineering Society (AES), PALM AV-ICN Expo 2026 stands as a unified platform representing the evolving needs and aspirations of India’s professional AV and entertainment industry. As digital-first consumption patterns continue to grow and audience expectations become increasingly experience-driven, the expo serves as a vital convergence point where technology, creativity, and infrastructure come together to shape the next phase of India’s Pro-AV ecosystem.