Trade Fair opens at Pragati Maidan

The Hamsadhwani Theatre at Pragati Maidan came alive with colours as President Pratibha Devisingh Patil inaugurated the 29th edition of the annual India International Trade Fair (IITF) on Saturday.

The Hamsadhwani Theatre at Pragati Maidan came alive with colours as President Pratibha Devisingh Patil inaugurated the 29th edition of the annual India International Trade Fair (IITF) on Saturday.

Coinciding with Children’s Day celebrations, the ceremony was a bright collage of children dressed in colourful khadi and holding tricolour balloons.

Presided over by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Anand Sharma Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Chief Minister of focus state Uttarakhand Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank”, Union Commerce Secretary Rahul Khullar, and India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) Chairman and Managing Director Subas Pani attended.

“The IITF has, over the years, acquired a reputation for successfully projecting the rapidly modernising face of India to the global business community,” the President said.

Observing that India’s global trade share was much lesser than its potential, Sharma said the Centre was committed to doubling the country’s global trade in percentage by 2014.

“The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has taken major initiatives to identify and develop 39 new markets in the Foreign Trade Policy,” he added.