India Pavilion At Expo 2020 Dubai Attracts Over 200,000 Visitors Within Five Weeks Of Inauguration

The India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai has crossed two lakh footfalls mark, the Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday (4 November).

"Another milestone achieved! India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai crosses 2,00,000+ footfall mark," Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said in a tweet on Thursday (4 November).

Goyal also urged the people to visit and explore the grand display of India at Dubai Expo as "it showcases our rich heritage and futuristic aspirations as a thriving hub full of limitless possibilities".

The India Pavillion, which was inaugurated by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal on 1 October, has also successfully completed its first month at the Dubai Expo.

"The India Pavilion has hosted over 2,00,000 visitors as on 3 November with various sector and state specific sessions to discuss India’s growth roadmap," the Commerce Ministry said in a statement.

It also secured investment opportunities for the country and celebrated several cultural events to attract visitors, the ministry added.

Meanwhile, commenting on the success of India Pavilion, Aman Puri, Deputy Commissioner General for India at Expo 2020 Dubai said, “The October month was a huge success for the India Pavilion. We saw a strong visitor turnout and expect this momentum to continue in the coming months”.

“While the India Pavilion will showcase more business opportunities for collaboration and investment, the popularity of India’s festivals, food, and cultural performances, have been crucial aspects in attracting visitors from across the globe”, he added.

The Pavilion started with the Climate and Biodiversity Week from 3-9 October. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy conducted various sessions that highlighted India’s renewable energy goals and climate action plan to the world. These weeks were followed by Space and Urban and Rural Development weeks, where discussions around the future of the sectors, the issues and challenges in the sectors, role of the government regulations and incentives were discussed.

Besides sector specific weeks, the India Pavilion also hosted specific weeks for Gujarat, Karnataka and UT of Ladakh. The state of Gujarat organised events at the India Pavilion where Bhupendra Patel, Chief Minister, Gujarat virtually showcased the state’s vibrant Pharma sector along with its plan for sustainable development, according to the ministry.

Similarly, the Karnataka Week also witnessed the presence of Murugesh Nirani, Minister, state minister for large and medium scale industries, along with C N Ashwath Narayan, state Minister for higher education.

Additionally, a series of events showcasing opportunities in Ladakh across focus sectors like sustainable infrastructure, connectivity, food processing and tourism were discussed during the Ladakh Week at India Pavilion.

The Karnataka week saw announcement on partnership between the Karnataka government and Gulf Islamic Investments (GII) to strengthen the investment ties between India and UAE.

GII’s investment approach in India is sector-agnostic and the firm plans to invest another $500m (Rs 3,500 crore) in India in the next the years and was one of the key achievements for the state of Karnataka, the ministry said.

The Space sector sessions were addressed by Dr K.Sivan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Dr Pawan Goenka, Chairman, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) and Umamaheshwaran R, Scientific Secretary, ISRO.

The Urban and Rural Development week that started from 31 October was attended by senior officials of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

The month of October at the India Pavilion also witnessed an array of cultural activities during Dusshera and Navratri celebrations. These included folk dances, storytelling and music for countless visitors and dignitaries.

The ongoing Diwali celebrations at India Pavilion comprise of colourful installations, lighting in the form of Swarangoli or LED rangoli, virtual display of firecrackers and performances by leading artists such as Salim-Sulaiman, Dhruv and Rooh bands from India and Dubai, the ministry said.

The enthusiasm of visitors resulted in India Pavilion being one of the most visited Pavilions at Expo 2020 Dubai. The activities and events during October were witnessed by hundreds of visitors with zeal and enthusiasm, it added.