The Hindu Business Line : ITPO to put Coimbatore on global exhibition map

COIMBATORE, which is the export hub of the hosiery and engineering industries in western Tamil Nadu, will be put on the international exhibition map with the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) agreeing to put the city on its international fairs map.

ITPO will explore the possibility of including Coimbatore in the list of cities where the organisation holds international fairs within the country on a regular basis, Mr Rajiv Yadav, Executive Director, ITPO, said.

Speaking to Business Line after visiting the Rs 13-crore Codissia Trade Fair Complex, accompanied by the Codissia President, Mr J. Balu, he said the establishment of such a complex in Coimbatore was a "remarkable feature" since such complexes were available only in metros. He said the facilities in the complex should be fully utilised and he saw great potential in view of the strategic location of Coimbatore and the industrial activity in the region.

ITPO was looking at opportunities to spread its activities to different parts of the country. Since India was witnessing an economic upturn, organising fairs only in Mumbai or Delhi would not be adequate and ITPO would have to reach out to other areas where large economic and industrial activities were going on.

"Coimbatore, that way fits our bill" he said adding as the city has a large trade fair complex, ITPO would try to organise a couple of fairs utilising it.

When pointed out that industrialists from Coimbatore have been participating in industrial fairs abroad and hence were aware of the expectations of the international buyers, he said his organisation would like to take advantage of the awareness among the industrialists here about what the international customers were looking for.

On how soon the first international exhibition could be held here, Mr Yadav said generally international fairs have to be planned at least a year in advance. If planning begins now, he was hopeful of organising "some activity" after six months. But the gap between the first and second fair need not be big if the themes of these exhibitions were different. The volume of business such exhibitions generated was dependant on the scale and quality of participation.

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