The India pavilion, one of the largest and most visited pavilions at EXPO2020 Dubai, has crossed the 8 lakh footfalls milestone.

The pavilion was inaugurated by Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, on 1 October 2021 and has so far clocked 8,00,103 visitors as of 18 January.

Taking to microblogging site Twitter, Goyal said, “Yet Another Milestone! Footfall at the India Pavilion at @Expo2020Dubai crosses the 8 Lakh mark. Underlining India’s Growth Story, the buzz at #IndiaAtDubaiExpo continues to captivate people with our rich heritage & ambitious growth opportunities.”

https://twitter.com/piyushgoyaloffc/status/1483331759798296580?s=24

The India Pavilion is currently hosting the ‘Goa’ and ‘Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME)’ weeks. While Goa week was inaugurated on 15 January, MSME week was inaugurated virtually by Narayan Rane, Union Minister of MSME yesterday.

Besides, the India pavilion has made its mark among the 192 participating nations by being recognized as one of the most iconic pavilions at EXPO2020 Dubai by the American Institute of Architects.

“The pavilion has also played a key role in showcasing the Indian start-up ecosystem amongst a global audience through initiatives like ‘Elevate’, that aims to display unconventional solutions created by 500 Indian start-ups from across the country,” stated the press release.

As part of the Goa week, the state is making a strong pitch to the global investors by showcasing its business capabilities along with its tradition and culture through a series of events exhibiting opportunities across key focus sectors.

The state week will also see industry-specific expert sessions, roundtable discussions, B2B & G2G meetings, along with cultural performances by renowned artists and Goan bands.

The Ministry of MSME’s participation in EXPO2020 will help develop an understanding of the MSME ecosystem in India as well as enable interaction with Governments of different countries, businesses, and industry leaders, which would help in exchange for best practices adopted across the world.

As per the press statement issued, some of the dignitaries who visited the pavilion since its inauguration include Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, Dr. S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs and Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, and others who joined the pavilion virtually.

States such as Gujarat, Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and UT of Ladakh among others have successfully showcased their business ecosystem along with rich cultural heritage and sourced investment opportunities from leading global investors.

The upcoming weeks at the India Pavilion will witness participation from states such as West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu among others, and sectors such as Steel, Healthcare, Information & Broadcasting, Agriculture, Electronics and Information Technology, Energy Conservation, Environment & Sustainability, Tribal Affairs to name a few.