The India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai has emerged as one of the most-visited pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai with the number of visitors crossing 3 lakh in just 43 days on November 12. The pavilion was inaugurated on October 1 by Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri 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 funding startups,” said Dr. Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai and Deputy Commissioner General of India at Expo 2020.
Several business sessions and conferences pertaining to the investment opportunities were organised by the states of Gujarat, Karnataka, and Ladakh in October. Apart from these, the India Pavilion also witnessed an array of cultural activities during the festive season, especially associated with Dusshera, Navratri, and Diwali celebrations.
In November, the India pavilion is hosting a series of business & cultural activities from Telangana, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra on a global pedestal. These state-specific weeks are holding many engaging activities displaying their culture, tradition, and tremendous business opportunities. While renewable energy, space and housing, and urban affairs sectors have already seen policymakers and business leaders participating in the interactive sessions at the pavilion, oil & gas and textiles are two sectors to showcase India’s capabilities during this month.
Bilateral conferences including the India-GCC Business conference, which was held this week, are also one of the major attractions of the India Pavilion engagements. The month of December will see participation from states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Kerala, and key sectors like Electronics and Information Technology, Energy Conservation, Environment, and Sustainability, Higher Education and Skills, Tribal Affairs, Spices, and Tourism.
“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 a special focus on startups — Karnataka and Telangana startups have received immense attention from investors already. It is a blend of culture and business opportunities that are attracting visitors to the India Pavilion,” said Dr. Puri.
Several government dignitaries, celebrities, businessmen, and bankers including Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs V Muraleedharan; Mr. Rishad Premji, Chairman, Wipro Ltd.; Sh. Dinesh Kumar Khara Chairman, State Bank of India; Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone; Janhvi Kapoor and her sister Khushi Kapoor; Kanika Kapoor, Shaan, Jaaved Jaaferi, and Manish Paul have also visited the Indian pavilion recently.
Going by the current trend, it is expected that by the time Expo 2020 concludes on March 31, 2022, the India Pavilion will certainly be among the pavilions that will see one of the highest footfalls.
