The Odisha Pavilion at the ongoing 41^st India International Trade Fair (IITF) at Pragati Maidan in the national capital has become a centre of attraction for visitors for multiple reasons and one of them being the way locally made products are being promoted so that they get global attention.

Sanjay Kumar Singh, Odisha Government’s Rural Development and I&PR Department Principal Secretary, who visited the Pavilion on Sunday, said: “In tune with this year’s theme which is Local to Global and Vocal for Local, we have put special focus on fully locally made products, which need global attention.”

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Singh further said that the year 2023 will be celebrated as the Millet Year. “The Odisha Government has already started numerous activities to promote millet made foods. Here, Odisha has displayed various millet products including snacks and biscuits,” he said.

Similarly, Odisha has come up with the state sponsored handloom sarees with diligently crafted fabrics, which provide livelihood to countless rural artisans. During the visit, Singh reviewed the footfalls of the Pavilion and took stock of the sale status of products.

The pavilion was also visited by Dr Arvind Padhee, Principal Secretary of Odisha Agriculture and Farmers’ empowerment Department. He interacted with the participants of the pavilion and congratulated them for being a part of one of India’s largest international fairs.

Odisha Pavilion is crafted with terracotta theme having temple textured cultural look.

The ongoing 41^st  IITF at Pragati Maidan, which offers an ideal platform to showcase Indian products under the ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign, was thrown open for the general public on November 19 and will conclude on November 27.

The IITF, which commenced from November 14, was strictly restricted to the Business Visitors till November 18. “The timings of the fair are 10 am to 7.30 pm from November 19-26 and 10 am to 4.30 pm on November 27,” an official said.

Nearly 2500 exhibitors from India and abroad are participating in the 41st edition of IITF. It is being held over a total area of 73,000 sq mtr. Exhibitors from 29 States and Union Territories are participating in the IITF.

Leh-Ladakh is participating for the first time in the IITF. Exhibitors from 12 countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belarus, Iran, Nepal, Thailand, Turkey, the UAE, and the UK are participating in the 41^st IITF.

As in the past, State Day celebrations, seminars and cultural programmes are among the added attractions for the visitors of the 41^st IITF.

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