New Delhi: Khadi, handicrafts and products made by small and medium enterprises will be among several items to be showcased at the annual India International Trade Fair (IITF), opening here on Monday.
The first five days of the fair will be reserved for business visitors and it will open for the general public from November 19. The 31st edition, which is expected to attract 1.4 million people, would end on November 27. The authorities have made elaborate security arrangements, including close-circuit TVs and X-ray baggage scanners. Also, traffic restrictions would come into force around Pragati Maidan, the venue of the fair to be inaugurated by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.
According to the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), over 6,000 exhibitors from India and overseas countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, Thailand, China will showcase their products.
Besides low-cost building technologies and electricals, bakery, jute, khadi, coir, leather, glass will be displayed in the Ministry of MSME pavilion. Diverse handicrafts from all across the country will add to the theme of this year`s fair `Indian Handicrafts-the magic of the gifted hands`.
"This will help increase the visibility...of Indian handicraft to help promote the cause...as the sector is marred by low visibility," Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) said.
While West Bengal and Jharkhand are the "partner states" this year, Bihar and Orissa have been branded as "focus states".
PTI