100 Days of the India Pavilion, Shining Bright at the EXPO2020 Dubai

DUBAI: The India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai is celebrating 100 days since its inauguration on October 1 last year.

Inaugurated by Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, the Indian Pavilion has so far clocked 7,40,356 visitors as of 8th January – one of the highest among the participating nations.

In his tweet, Goyal said, “100 Glorious Days of the India Pavilion Shining Bright at the @Expo2020Dubai. The world is witnessing #IndiaAtDubaiExpo as a hub of innovation, growth, and opportunities. Visit the Pavilion to experience the grand celebration of India’s growth story.”

The India Pavilion has hosted various delegations from key sectors and states highlighting the enormous business potential and strengths of the country given its large geographical, cultural, and socio-economic diversity.

The India Pavilion is currently hosting the ‘Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) week’ and ‘Tourism week’ which were inaugurated on 3rd January. As part of the J&K week, Manoj Sinha, Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory (UT) of J&K along with other government officials held various meetings and invited global investors to invest across key sectors from the UT. The Tourism Week has been pivotal in showcasing the different areas of tourism that India excels in such as spiritual, medical, luxury tourism among others.

The high-profile visitors to the pavilion since its inauguration include Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Dr S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Chemicals and Fertilizers, Bhupendra Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology and Minister of State for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, B.S. Yediyurappa, Former Chief Minister of Karnataka, and India’s Foreign Secretary, Harsh V Shringla, Dr K. Sivan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) & Secretary, Department of Space among others.

R.K. Singh, Union Minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy, Satish Mahana, Minister for Industrial Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP), Darshana V Jardosh, Union Minister of State for Textile & Railways, and various others joined virtually.

The Pavilion has made its mark among the 192 participating nations by being recognized as one of the largest, most visited, and most iconic (by American Institute of Architects) pavilions at EXPO2020 Dubai. The Pavilion has also played a key role in showcasing the Indian start-up ecosystem amongst a global audience through initiatives like ‘Elevate’, which aims to display unconventional solutions created by 500 Indian start-ups from across the country.

States such as Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and UT of Ladakh among others have successfully showcased their business ecosystem along with rich cultural heritage and sourced investment opportunities from leading global investors. Additionally, sectors such as New and Renewable Energy, Space, Urban and Rural Development, Oil & Gas, Textile, Knowledge, and Learning have held respective weeks to highlight the growth and investment opportunities in these areas.

To attract the visitors, the Pavilion has also hosted various renowned Bollywood celebrities including Deepika Padukone, Janhvi Kapoor, Jaaved Jaaferi; singers such as Salim-Sulaiman, Hariharan, Benny Dayal, Jonita Gandhi; Indian tennis star, Sania Mirza and the famous fashion designer, entrepreneur and filmmaker, Manish Malhotra to name a few. Additionally, the Pavilion has showcased the cultural diversity of the various participating states by displaying their products, hosting cultural performances, etc. Key Indian festivals such as Navratri, Dusshera, and Diwali were celebrated with great enthusiasm by both Indian and global visitors.

The upcoming weeks at the India Pavilion will witness participation from states such as Goa, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu among others, and sectors such as Steel, Healthcare, Electronics and Information Technology, Energy Conservation, Environment & Sustainability, Tribal Affairs to name a few.