Intl boat show

India's financial hub today joined a select league of upscale waterfront cities with the launch of its first international boat show "" a four-day event that will open a new frontier for the boating industry.

With the Mumbai International Boat Show (MIBS), the city that is home to one of the world's oldest yacht clubs will soon boast of its own "Big Blue" along the Arabian Sea coast.

MIBS is aided by the Maharashtra government, British Marine Federation, Mumbai Port Trust and global marine groups. With the inauguration of the show, Mumbai, which has more millionaires per square mile than Manhattan, joined the league of cities like Cannes, Sydney, Miami and London.

The event was inaugurated by Admiral Sureesh Mehta and attended by state government officials and international and national leisure industry personalities. Mumbai has become the newest venue for boat shows where enthusiasts, manufacturers and marketers come together to track the industry's latest developments.

About 55 individual exhibitors and participants from 20 countries are attending the meet and industry analysts believe "the boating industry has tremendous economic potential".

"The state goverment is looking to the show as a landmark event from the point of view of its potential economic impact in and around the coast of Maharashtra," said secretary (special projects) Sanjay Ubale.

Maharasthra Tourism Development Corporation chief Bhushan Gagrani said, "The show offers great potential not only to Mumbai but also the state of Maharashtra."