- Wednesday, May 08, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE India Pavilion has emerged as one of the most-visited pavilions at EXPO2020 Dubai with the visitors’ footfall crossing three lakh in just 43 days as on Friday (12).
The pavilion was inaugurated on October 1 by India’s commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal.
“The huge interest of visitors in India pavilion is a sign of confidence on India’s resilience and opportunities, besides the vibrant culture of the country, which is in full display in different state weeks being held in the pavilion. The pavilion has been visited by 31 country delegations, and 175 high-profile visitors have also graced it with their visit. With this, 199 G2B and B2B meetings have taken place at the pavilion along with the Startup pitching sessions. It is a matter of great satisfaction that 15 FIIs have already committed to fund Startups,” Dr Aman Puri, consul general of India in Dubai and Deputy Commissioner General of India at EXPO2020 said, Asian News International reported.
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Several business sessions and conferences related to investment opportunities were organised at the event by various Indian states like Gujarat and Karnataka in October.
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Besides, the India Pavilion also saw an array of cultural activities during the festive season, especially associated with Dussehra, Navratri and Diwali in the months of October and November.
In November, the pavilion is seeing a series of business and cultural activities from states like Telangana, Maharashtra and Rajasthan on a global range. These state-specific weeks are organising many engaging activities displaying their culture, tradition and business potential.
Besides renewable energy, space and housing and urban affairs sectors have seen policymakers and business leaders taking part in interactive sessions at the parliament, sectors like oil and gas and textiles also are showcasing India’s capabilities at the event this month.
In December, the pavilion will witness participation from states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala and key sectors like electronics and information technology, energy conservation, higher education and skills, tribal affairs, spices and tourism, etc.
“Rajasthan week is currently on at the pavilion and will be followed by the Maharashtra week. Along with the cultural diversity and vibrancy, India’s innovative capability is also in full display with special focus on startups – Karnataka and Telangana startups have received immense attention of the investors already. It is a blend of culture and business opportunities that is attracting the visitors to the India Pavilion,” Dr Puri said.
Other attractions of the India Pavilion this week included bilateral conferences, including the India-GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) Business Conference, which was organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The pavilion also saw several government and foreign dignitaries, businessmen, ministers and celebrities visiting it. From Rishad Premji, chairman, Wipro Ltd to actors Deepak Padukone, Janhvi Kapoor and her sister Khushi Kapoor to singer Shaan and others paid visits to the India Pavilion.
The EXPO2020 will conclude on March 31, 2022, and going by the current trend, the footfalls will certainly touch higher numbers.
