People throng in huge numbers at Guwahati International trade fair

An international trade fair was recently held in Guwahati amid much fanfare where thousands gathered to witness an exclusive array of products from different countries.

The fair was organized by Industries and Trade Fair Associations of Assam (ITFAA) in association with National Small Industries Corporation Limited.

The fair showcased an exclusive collection of various handmade items from places such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Dubai, Taiwan, Turkey and Bangladesh etc.

A large number of people flocked to witness the biggest ever celebration of trade and business in the beautiful city.

From exclusive range of jewelry to food products and intricately designed clothes from different countries, several products are on display at the fair.

"It feels good to be here and we have specially bought the famous dry fruits from Afghanistan for the people of Guwahati and people are turning up to buy dry fruits. It is a good platform to promote our products. Response here is really good," said Mohammad Zameer from Afghanistan.

"I am feeling very excited as it is my first time here. I just want to go around and explore the entire stall. People in Guwahati are lovely and the response for our products is really good," said Mariam, a resident of London.

A wide array of soft toys, robotic toys, cars, dolls etc from Hong Kong were also one of the major attractions during the event.

It is noteworthy that the trade fair is the first fair in Northeast India to be free Wi-Fi zone for the visitors and participants.

"350-700 stalls have been erected here as well as 130 stalls under NSAI pavilion are displayed. Other than that there is National Jute Board that comes under Ministry of Commerce and around 9-10 foreign countries have participated here in Northeast. Bangladesh has presented various pavilions in a much grandeur manner as well as various automobile pavilions have been set up here. Besides that for the first famous Assam milk brand 'Purabi milk' has set up their own pavilion. The entire fair is entirely Wi-fi free zone," said Rajib Das, General Secretary, Industries and trade fair association of Assam.

As the wedding season rolls in, an elite collection of decorative lights, lamps and chandeliers drew huge crowds from all walks of life.

Home decor items such as decorative flower vases, showpieces etc attracted a large section of women folks.

For gastronomes the famous Rajasthani pickles and the namkeens of Gujarat remained a major attraction.

Moreover, from India's northeastern state of Manipur and Assam, handmade and handloom wears to bamboo- cane materials, decorative shawls, and sarees from different parts of India and wooden carved decorative products etc remained a major highlights in the fair.

To promote cashless transactions, the organizing committee of the fair also made arrangements for online payment at the fair with an exclusive stall providing swipe machine facility.

In a similar way, the northeastern state of Tripura came alive with the Industry and Commerce fair being organised at the Agartala International Fair Ground.

The fair revealed the vibrant hues of the state as well as the nation which saw participation from various representatives of business and commerce industries.

Ranging from bamboo-cane handicraft materials of Tripura to wooden carved decorative materials of Uttar Pradesh to handmade Khadi products and pashmina Shawls of Kashmir, products from different parts of the state were on display at the fair.

Variety of artificial flowers and horticulture products of the state attracted people from all walks of life.

"I always visited the fair and enjoyed it as large numbers of people come together here. Here, producers from our state and also from outside, display their products for sale and to popularize them. We are getting lot of varieties and also at a subsidized rate and hence we are also benefited," said Dr. Chanda Bhattachajee, a visitor.

Such an Endeavour will go a long way in bringing the products of different countries into the forefront and will help boost up commercial ties between various countries and the northeast as a whole.