Both ITPO and IITF are fanning across the country, says Yogesh Chandra in this exclusive interview.
Aseasoned bureaucrat and an able administrator, Yogesh Chandra has wrought several changes during his tenure as chairman and managing director of ITPO. The years as director general tourism and secretary civil aviation have given him the experience to judge what sells and appeals to people.
IITF is the biggest event in ITPO's calendar. What are the preparations that go behind it? You could say that we prepare all year round for it. Pragati Maidan has such a busy calendar that there are events scheduled almost every week of the year. The only time the grounds are empty is during the rains. Each event in a way is a dress rehearsal for IITF, which is the grand finale.
In terms of bringing more international attention to the fair, I have taken some, measures. The purpose of the fair is to boost trade, and this year I have taken money from our own budget to bring foreign decision-makers to view the fair.
Are the number of participants going up this year?
Pragati Maidan has grown exponentially so much over the years that it is now creaking to its limits, and there is no morespace to accomodate additional participants. I do not want to undertake shabby measures or take short-cuts such as putting up tents to accommodate more numbers. We received the maximum possible participation last year and it will remain the same. However, this year, we have two new halls - 12 and 13 - which the CPWD constructed at extra rapid pace for us, completing them in five months.
Why is the international participation (only 14 countries) less? This fair is meant to promote Indian, not international goods. We want to showcase our best to the world and be the sellers. The 14 countries that are participating are all developing countries. The idea is to have delegations from several foreign countries coming in to see the fair. Last year they numbered 40, and this year we are still receiving confirmations. South Korea and Israel are sending big delegations.
What kind of investments are incurred for the fair?
ITPO is a Section 25, no-profit, no-loss Organisation. Unlike other private exhibition organisers, we sell space at cost price which today is Rs 100 per sq m. But a measure of our success is the fact that 20 years ago, we got subsidies worth Rs 30-40 crore, which today has come down to just a crore-and-a-half.
Any new trends this year?
Yes, this time each exhibitor has a website and the address is given on the directory. E-commerce is the biggest buzzword with a full-fledged ministry to deal with it. ITPO too recognises the importance of e-commerce and I believe that in a few years over 50 per cent of our trade will be done on the net. In fact, soon after this fair, we are, going to pull down Hall I which is 30 years old and completely outdated as far as exhibition technology goes. hi its place we are, going to set up modem exhibition complex with a National Trade Centre having state-of-the-art telecommunications systems. It will be the hub of our e-commerce set-up. incidentally, we are, also planning a fitness centre and gymnasium
