Guwahati: The Assam government is taking the trade fair route to offset the adverse impact of the pandemic-triggered lockdown on trade and the economy in the years 2020 and 2021.
State commerce and industries minister Bimal Borah, while addressing media persons here on Tuesday, COVID-19 pandemic-triggered lockdown’s impact on trade and commerce, besides the exhibition industry, has been unprecedented.
“Several private parties have cancelled their regular fairs while some are still reluctant to organise fairs in the state resulting in a lack of trade opportunities for the local MSME units, business and entrepreneurial enterprises,” Borah said.
“Therefore, in an effort to minimise such adversities faced by businesses in Assam, the state industries department has now decided to organise an international winter exposition to showcase the products and services offered by the state entrepreneurs,” the minister said.
Accordingly, the “Assam Trade Promotion Organisation (ATPO) International Winter Expo 2022” will be organised in association with National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and Assam industries, commerce and public enterprise department at the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre here from December 23 to January 5, 2023.
Around 150 MSME units, 11 start-ups, besides officials of the Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART), CFC (Common Facility Centre, Assamese jewellery), NEDfi (North Eastern Development Finance Corporation), Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering and Technology (CIPET) are participating in the expo.
International representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan are also participating in the expo.
It may be mentioned that in order to promote tourism, export and commerce, the Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh and Royal Bhutanese Consulate General have also given their consent to participate in the expo as there is huge scope for trade with these neighbouring countries.
To familiarise different participants and visitors (both local and international) with the local food habits of different tribes, a few stalls on ethnic food will also be accommodated.
The cultural evening by different artists of the state will also be a major attraction of the expo.
ATPO is planning to organise trade fairs/expositions on different occasions for the benefit of the local MSME units. Accordingly, ATPO has proposed to organise two trade fairs in the financial year 2022-23.
Notably, ATPO has already organised “ATPO Nalbari Trade Expo2022” from November 8 to 19, 2022, where 50 MSME units, from different districts of Assam and having different product profiles such as handloom, handicrafts, food items, Ayurvedic products, were allotted stalls free of cost for display and sale of their products.
Apart from these, the ATPO is also planning to organise three fairs in the financial year 2023-24. One fair will be regional to accommodate participants from the Northeastern region, one international fair to tap the export opportunities and another fair will be organised exclusively for entrepreneurs from Assam.
“The Assam government has adopted several measures, in sync with the ‘Act East’ policy of the Centre, to woo investments, reduce compliance requirements, and amend archaic laws aimed at the holistic economic development of the state,” the industry minister said.
North East India shares a long border with the South East Asian countries and this has immense trade opportunities. In order to promote these emerging opportunities, the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), the premier trade promotion organisation under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, has set up the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre in Guwahati.
State-of-the-art facilities were created with beautiful architecture and modern facilities, equipped with three centrally air-conditioned exhibition halls of 10,000 square feet each, conference rooms with a capacity of 20 and 100, parking lots, provision for the amphitheatre, etc, besides a VIP lounge and open field area of around 1.30 lakh square feet.
The facilities were further boosted by adding a 400-seater well-furnished modern auditorium.
The Assam government, with a view to managing the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre and all future trade centres of the state, formed a company on February 17, 2009, and named it as “Assam Trade Promotion Organisation (ATPO)” as approved by the Register of Companies.
ATPO is a non-profit self-sustaining company registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 under the administrative control of the state industries, commerce and public enterprise department.
Its main objectives are to promote, organise, manage and participate in trade fairs and exhibitions to enhance trade in the northeastern region.
As a part of its mandate, ATPO had, for the first time, participated in the “Thessaloniki International Trade Fair” in Greece in September 2011.
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Women entrepreneurs from different districts of Assam exhibited their products at the international trade fair.
The entrepreneurs showcased the traditional handloom, handicraft and herbal soaps along with eri and muga products of the state.
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