Abu Dhabi: The India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai has surpassed the 1 million footfall landmark since opening on October 1, 2021. The number of visitors to the Pavilion stood at 10,07,514 as on Sunday, February 13, 2022.
Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, who had inaugurated the India Pavilion on October 1 last year said in a tweet message, “A million hearts beating out for our billion dreams! It’s a proud moment as the India Pavilion @EXPO2020Dubai marks a new milestone in footfalls. The New India journey has captivated the world #MillionAtIndiaPavilion.”
Speaking about the achievement, Sunjay Sudhir, Indian Ambassador to the UAE, said: “It’s a matter of great pride and honour as we achieve this key milestone. The India Pavilion has been one of the key attractions at the Expo 2020 Dubai and received great interest from visitors from all over the world.”
“The Expo has given us a great opportunity to showcase India’s prowess in key growth sectors and its vibrant cultural diversity. The India Pavilion is a legacy pavilion, which showcases the synergies, shared vision and complementary strengths of India and the UAE. I am confident that the Expo will not only contribute to the progress of the two countries but also to the larger region and the world,” he said in a press release issued by the pavilion.
With participation from central ministries, state governments, corporates, cultural organisations, and startups, Expo is helping the nation explore new areas of collaboration for Indian entities and position itself as a global economic hub. So far, India Pavilion has witnessed over 800 B2B, G2B and G2G meetings with investors and various international collaborators.
Andhra Pradesh week
Presently, the India Pavilion is hosting Andhra Pradesh Week’, which was inaugurated on February 11 by Mekapati Goutham Reddy, Minister of Commerce and Information Technology, Government of Andhra Pradesh, along with Dr. Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Dr. Ahmed Albanna, UAE Ambassador to India and Sunjay Sudhir, India Ambassador to the UAE.
Andhra Pradesh is projecting its strong governance, strategic locational advantages, robust infrastructure, thriving industrial and business ecosystem, skilled manpower, and immense potential for growth across key sectors. The state week will also be hosting a plethora of crucial government engagements with industry leaders, business organizations, and one-to-one meetings with an intent to bring more investment to the state in key growth sectors.
Other events
The India Pavilion has also hosted many states like Kerala, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, who have successfully showcased their lucrative business attractiveness along with rich cultural heritage and have garnered investment opportunities from leading global investors during their participation.
Key sectors such as Health & Wellness, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), New & Renewable Energy, Space, Urban and Rural Development, Oil & Gas, Textile, Knowledge and Learning, and Tourism have held respective weeks to highlight the growth and investment opportunities in these areas.
Startups and high-level visitors
India Innovation Hub and Elevate pitching sessions for startups, at the India Pavilion is also helping in building on India’s strength as the third-largest incubator of unicorns and has displayed innovations of over 300 Indian startups so far. The platform has captured the attention of Indian as well as global investors assisting the startup ecosystem bloom.
Since its inauguration, the Pavilion has welcomed high-profile visitors such as union ministers, state ministers and chief ministers, scientists, and others.
The India Pavilion has also hosted renowned Bollywood celebrities including Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Janhvi Kapoor, JaavedJaaferi; singers such as Salim-Sulaiman, Hariharan, Neha Kakkar, Benny Dayal, Jonita Gandhi; Indian tennis star, Sania Mirza and the famous fashion designer, entrepreneur and filmmaker, Manish Malhotra to name a few.
Cultural diversity
Additionally, the Pavilion has showcased the cultural diversity of the various participating states by displaying their products and cultural performances. Key Indian festivals such as Navratri, Dusshera, Diwali, Christmas, Republic Day and Basant Panchami were celebrated with great fervor by both Indian and global visitors.
What coming next?
India’s participation at Expo 2020 Dubai is strengthening the existing bilateral trade relations with the UAE and is bound to unlock new economic opportunities across various sectors for the businesses of the two nations.
In the coming weeks, the India Pavilion will witness participation from states such as Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal. Key sectors such as Agriculture, Food and Livelihood, Information and Broadcasting, Energy Conservation, Environment & Sustainability, Tribal Affairs will also exhibit their potential and endless collaboration opportunities to the world, at the India Pavilion.
