Vibrant Gujarat Trade Show to open 8 January

With only three days to go for the Vibrant Gujarat Trade Show 2013, to get under way, "India's largest investments exhibition ever" as claimed by Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and the organisers of the event, seems to be finding the going tough as a far as filling up the 1 lakh square metres at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar is concerned.

The six-day trade show, set to open on 8 January, would have a total of 30 domes, including 14 exclusive pavilions offering a platform to companies in 25 different sectors including engineering, textile, tourism, mines and minerals, gems and jewellery and plastic. The whole area which would be Wi-fi enabled would be monitored by CCTV cameras.

The organisers, including an event management firm, sub-contractors and various associations, were looking for clients to fill up the available stalls to make it the largest exhibition ever held in India. The show forms part of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit 2013, which starts on 11 January.

The Indian Express quoted sub-contractors, as saying that many of the domes, including those of focus areas like textile and tourism, were still not full, but officials were hopeful of an improvement just before inauguration.

Meanwhile, chief minister Narendra Modi has urged the state's industrialists and businessmen to make full use of global success of Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors Summit (VGGIS), which according to Modi had over the years created ample opportunity for trade and industry to participate in the state's development.

During his meeting with office-bearers of various chambers of commerce, Modi recalled the ever growing participation and cooperation of the participants at VGGIS since 2003, and said this biennial event has now emerged as the biggest economic and industrial event of its kind in India. He said it was no small achievement to bring representatives from over 100 countries to deliberate and exchange ideas for business under one roof.

He said that it started off as an investment destination in 2003 as a pilot project, which subsequently served as a catalyst for state government which went on to hold five more such global investors summits, leaving the industrial world wonderstruck. The event had been instrumental in upholding Gujarat's esteem and put the state on a firm footing in the world.

Modi has now invited office-bearers of all GIDC and other industrial estates and businessmen from all the cities to showcase their products and services at this mega exhibition spread over 1,00,000 sq m.