Dubai, Apr 5 (IANS): The India Pavilion successfully signed off from the Expo2020 Dubai as curtains came down on the six-month long mega event on March 31. As one of the largest and most iconic pavilions at the Expo, the India Pavilion recorded more than 1.75 million footfalls since its inauguration on October 1 last year.
The Pavilion will remain for posterity as part of India's legacy in the UAE. KIts building will embody India's commitment to sustainability and will be environment-friendly. Inaugurated by Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, and Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha,Piyush Goyal, the India Pavilion recorded 1,753,889 visitors till the closure of the Expo on March 31. Goyal also participated in India's Honour Day Celebrations at Expo2020 Dubai on March 29.
Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to the UAE said: "We are delighted and proud of the way in which India has been able to showcase itself at Dubai Expo. Various sectors and states that participated during the 6 months have been able to utilise every opportunity to expand and grow. Moreover, our bright young minds and entrepreneurs have also capitalised on the opportunity, and we take pride in the fact that the India Innovation Hub is only getting started. The India Pavilion is one of the few ones that will remain for posterity and will continue telling our nation's story in the years to come."
"Our ties with the UAE have been further strengthened with India's hugely successful participation at Dubai Expo. We have seen numerous meetings here in the last six months that have initiated a dialogue for future associations and many of them have already led to successful partnerships," Sudhir added.
The India Pavilion witnessed over 2000 B2B, G2G, and G2B meetings conducted by delegates from various participating states and sectors, discussing investment opportunities & mutual areas of collaboration. The Pavilion also saw over 100 MoUs/ LoIs getting signed in the last 6 months by different states, sectors, and startups.
The 'Elevate' pitching series under the India Innovation Hub project of the India Pavilion also showcased over 700 startups in the last 6 months. The Elevate provided opportunities to Indian startups and helped the budding entrepreneurs with the right mentorship, platform, and networking opportunities to scale their businesses.
The India Pavilion successfully represented India's vast cultural diversity, sectoral expertise, and the business potential of the participating states. Mirroring the theme of the Expo,'Connecting Minds, Creating the Future", the India Pavilion showcased the country's sectoral expertise, key business areas from the states, and innovative ideas from budding entrepreneurs across the country. It was also recently recognised among the top three pavilions at Expo2020 Dubai for its exclusive design and innovation, under the 'People's choice' category by the Exhibitor Group.
The Pavilion hosted many states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Goa, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, northeastern states, and UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, which successfully showcased their business attractiveness along with rich cultural heritage and garnered investment opportunities from leading global investors during their participation.
Key sectors such as Media & Entertainment, Water, Steel, Food, Agriculture and Livelihood, Health & Wellness, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), New & Renewable Energy, Environment, Space, Urban and Rural Development, Oil & Gas, Textile, Knowledge and Learning, and Tourism also held respective weeks at the India Pavilion to highlight the growth and investment opportunities in these areas.
The Pavilion saw high-profile visitors, including Anurag Singh Thakur, Minister of Information & Broadcasting, Youth Affairs and Sports, N.V. Ramana, Chief Justice of India, Ram Chandra Prasad Singh, Union Minister of Steel, M.K. Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Om Birla, Lok Sabha Speaker, Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister of Kerala, Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Minister for Housing & 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.
Narayan Rane, Minister of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), R.K. Singh, Union Minister of Power, New & Renewable Energy, Darshana V. Jardosh, Union Minister of State for Textile & Railways, Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, Minister of State for MSME and Satish Mahana, Minister for Industrial Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP), along with various other dignitaries joined virtually.
The India Pavilion also hosted renowned celebrities including Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, S.S. Rajamouli, Ram Charan, NTR Jr, Janhvi Kapoor, Jaaved Jaaferi, R. Madhavan; singers such as Shaan, Kailash Kher, 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.