India to host first-ever international cooperative trade fair in Oct

New Delhi: A first-ever thematic global fair will be organised here in October to promote cooperative-to-cooperative exchange of trade and technology and showcase India's products and services from the sector in the international market, officials said Thursday.

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The India International Cooperative Trade Fair (IICTF) will be hosted at Pragati Maidan from October 11-13.

Additional Secretary (Economic Diplomacy & States) in the Ministry of External Affairs Manoj K Bharti announced about the fair in the presence of ambassadors, diplomats and representatives of various embassies here.

"This will be the first time that India will be hosting an international cooperative fair and we are expecting a large participation from various foreign countries. The purpose is to promote cooperative-to-cooperative trade, domestically and internationally and also showcase India's products and services from the sector to a global market," he said at an event held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Bhawan.

Sandeep Kumar Nayak, managing director of the National Cooperative Development Corporation, said the NCDC is organising the event with governments of Telangana and Haryana as prime state partners, besides IFFCO (Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited), Indian Potash Limited (IPL) and Amul (Anand Milk Union Limited) as cooperative sector partners.

Narendra Modi is set to be sworn in as the prime minister for a successive second term in the evening, and he is expected to inaugurate the fair.

"This event will allow various cooperatives from around the world to trade with each other directly, unlike in other fairs. India will be looking to get technology from other countries, from agriculture and food processing to other fields. Besides, India will get an opportunity to sell its own products and services to foreign countries," Nayak said.

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The fair will also see exhibition and sales promotion, cooperative-to-cooperative meetings, business-to-business meetings, Incredible India exposition, thematic sessions and technology seminars.

Among the focus areas would be agriculture, dairy, fisheries, rubber, coconut, wine, technology and textiles, Nayak said.

High Commissioner of Guyana David Goldwin Pollard, who attended the event, said, "Our country is officially called Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and we would like to explore opportunities to partner with India for this fair."

Bharti said the groundwork for organising this fair has been prepared for nearly a year.

Nayak said two roadshows have already been held abroad to promote the show -- Bangkok in March and Ho Chi Minh City in April -- and another one will be done in Johannesburg in June.

(PTI)