Pragati Maidan to get mega facelift for G20 meet

Convention centre will be able to hold 7K people; plan includes building road under exhibition area

A Rs 2,254-crore international convention and exhibition centre will be developed at the Pragati Maidan here in time to host the G20 summit meeting in 2019.

The mega plan includes building a road under the exhibition area, along with a direct entry into the underground parking space which will have space for 5,000 cars.

The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the first phase of redevelopment of the area that hosts global events such as the India International Trade Fair, World Book Fair and Petrotech. International Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) will invest Rs 1,200 crore from its reserves into the project. The organisation, under the commerce ministry, runs the exhibition centre, inaugurated in 1972 by then prime minister Indira Gandhi.

The balance Rs 1,054 crore will be raised as a long-term loan from banks, financial or external institutions. SBI Caps has been made the financial advisor. These loans will be backed by a government guarantee, Commerce Secretary Rita Teotia told Business Standard.

The convention centre will be able to handle 7,000 persons, five times that of Vigyan Bhawan, with a plenary hall of capacity of at least 3,000 persons and a function hall for 4,000 persons. To overcome the issue of traffic snarls, an underground road would be built from Mathura Road to Ring Road across Pragati Maidan, said Teotia.  Three acres will be designated to develop a hotel in the public-private partnership mode. 

Teotia said the space would continue to be used for exhibitions even when construction activity is going on. “Delhi being a hub for international exhibitions and conventions, there is a need for modern facilities. It is a fast-growing sector and the centre will also generate revenue for ITPO.”

ITPO has assigned the work to National Buildings Construction Corporation Ltd as project management consultant. ITPO would call for global bids for selection of project executor.

The first phase of the project, to be over by 2019, will involve demolition of the existing 23 state pavilions and six central ministries pavilions, apart from ITPO’s six halls.