Thirty-second edition of Aahar to commence at Pragati Maidan on March 7

Aahar 2017, the 32nd essay of the international food and hospitality fair organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), will kick off at New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan on March 7 and conclude on March 11. The organisers state that the show has grown by leaps and bounds in recent years, and is now the ultimate destination for global vendors and sourcing professionals.
DK Nangia, general manager, ITPO, said, “This year, we’re expecting a major increase in the number of visitors. It is expected that 60,000 visitors will attend the event this year. We have developed a mobile application, which has been further strengthened in 2017 with the addition of many new features.”
“For example,after the visitorsregister themselves on the app, the data will be available to us and a QR code or specific number will be generated. This will be used for immediate printing of visitor badges.The app can be translated into all major Indian and world languages as well,” he added.
Nangia said, “This year as well, the streaming ofvideos on Aahar’s YouTube channel willbe webcast. There will be 360-degree videos.”
New halls have been made available to the traders. Nangia said, “Some of the old halls – 2,4, 5 and 6 – are not available, so we have built four hangars (halls number 23, 24, 25, and 27).Also we are starting the online booking of additional services that an exhibitor requires like electricity.”
Several countries will make their debut at Aahar 2017. These include Australia, Korea, Greece, Switzerland, and Sweden.
ITPO has also made arrangements for the new entrepreneursthis year as well. Nangia said, “We have a similar scheme like last year. New entrepreneurs will be given stalls. About 100 stalls have been reserved for such people. Stalls are available for women entrepreneurs who wish to participate in the exhibition.”
Meanwhile, Indian hospitality sector is clocking a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14 per cent.
According to the World Tourism Organisation, 15.3 million foreign tourist arrivals are expected in India by 2025. This will create a huge demand for the hospitality sector. The foreign investors are tapping this opportunity in a big way.
According to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), the amount of foreign direct investment (FDI) in?ow in the industry during the last couple of years was more than $6 Billion.
Tourism accounts for 6.8 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) and is the third-largest foreign exchange earner. India is the most attractive destination for global hospitality industry players.
“The government of India has proposed to establish cross-cultural linkages and to revive historic maritime cultural and economic ties with 39 Indian Ocean countries,” said ITPO.
When quizzed about the benefits of exhibiting at Aahar, Nangia said, “The fair gives opportunities to the traders to exhibit products,technologies and services to national and international buyers and generate sales leads or order bookings.”