G. Kalyan Kumar
The 42nd India International Trade Fair, which opened on November 14 for two-week long exposition became a memorable and significant event in the national capital New Delhi for so many seasons.
The India International Trade Fair (IITF) is one of the world’s top-listed integrated trade expos incorporating the B2C and B2B segments, another highlight.
The first five days of the Trade fair were devoted exclusively to business visitors. It opened to the general public on November 19th. The exhibition had over 3,500 exhibitors from Indian states, Union territories, and 20 foreign countries.
This year's theme was 'Vasudaivaktumbakam', inspired by the ancient Indian philosophy that the world is one big family. This theme emphasizes the need for trade cooperation and connectivity for sustainable prosperity and well-being.
Bharat Mandapam
Union minister Inaugurates
On November 14, Anu Priya Patel, the Union Minister of state for commerce and industry inaugurated the event.
“This time we are fortunate that IITF is being held at this new state-of-the-art complex at Bharat Mandapam, which was recently dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi," said Ms Patel.
Noting that the trade fair has been the best platform that showcases the export potential of India, Minister Anu Priya Patel said the achievements of sectors of the economy will impress visitors. Som Prakash, Minister of state for Commerce also attended the opening ceremony.
Among the foreign countries participated in the expo included the UAE, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Oman, Egypt, Nepal, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Tunisia, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, and Iran.
The modernization of the Expo site's infrastructure had a major impact on the overall event. This was reflected not only in optimized visitor management, but also in spatial planning, quality and communication facilities.
Partner States and Focus States
For the IITF, Bihar and Kerala were partner states. Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh were the focus states.
Steel industry pavilion
Among the central ministries and agencies, 64 of them had their mega presence. There included PSUs, Commodity Boards - Income Tax Department, Ministry of Ayush, Securities Printing and Minting Corporation of India, National Jute Board, Ministry of Rural Development, RBI, MSME, NHDC, LIC, DC Handicraft, Spice Board of India, Ministry of Railways, SBI, TRIFED, Ministries of Social Justice, Health, Power, Steel, Mines and several SME units participated and highlighted achievements in their respective areas.
Grand Exhibition
The 42nd edition of IITF had an average of 45,000 visitors each day, with 100,000 visitors per day on weekends and holidays. The IITF 2023 occupied a vast area of 110,000 square meters and had 14 halls with all logistics in place for the smooth movement of visitors from 10 am to 7 pm.
State-of-the-art facilities set up by the Indian Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) the overall experience of both exhibitors and visitors very comfortable.
From the splendid display of a variety of jewelry, garments, and perfumes to mountains of dried fruit and tons of clothing, eager visitors had unlimited shopping opportunities.
The highlight of IITF this year was that the Bharat Mandapam has been open to the public since its inception. It became a global landmark during the G20 summit in September, hosting the top 20 economies of the world.
Cosmetics industrialist Shanaz Hussein launches new products
Redevelopment of Pragati Maidan
The renovation was a large portion of the exhibition area created a spacious floor plan. Modern halls with state-of-the-art equipment, seating and green areas enhanced guests' comfort and enjoyment.
Redevelopment works worth Rs 2,700 crore were carried out over five years at Pragati Maidan, and they culminated in early 2023.
The result has been superb; six new exhibition halls, a state-of-the-art convention center Bharat Mandapam with a capacity to accommodate 7,000 people, a state-of-the-art amphitheater, huge parking space and other amenities came up. The project also covered his Rs 800 crore traffic control plans by Public Works Department (PWD), Delhi.
Coffee from Kerala pavilion
Cultural events and fabulous food court
The trade fair also had cultural programmes from different states and every state pavilion and various ministries had their own quota of VIP visits and other related programs throughout the event. To relieve the fatigue of shopping and hall visits, food courts provided great astronomical entertainment.
The food court near Halls 4 and 5 had everything you need to suit every taste. They ranged from popular dishes from Punjab to spicy delicacies from Tamil Nadu, amazing dishes from Kerala, and aromatic kebabs, from Lucknow and Hyderabad biriyani among others.
