President to inaugurate trade fair in Delhi on November 14

President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate this year's India International Trade Fair (IITF) here on November 14, which is expected to see the participation of over 7,000 Indian and foreign companies.

Goa and Jharkhand are the partner states this year while the focus state is Madhya Pradesh.

Afghanistan is the partner country while Bangladesh is the focus country for the event.

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will preside over the inaugural function of the fair, which has 'Make in India' as its theme, said IITF organisers - India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO).

"The fair's theme is 'Make in India', which will publicise the infrastructure of every state and the capabilities of Indian exhibitors to attract investments in India through this event," ITPO said in a statement here.

"Extending India's global appeal for investment in diverse sectors, Smart Cities, Digital India, model villages, Clean Ganga Mission and Jan Dhan Yojana will be depicted in the central and state pavilions," it added.

Besides domestic firms, companies from Afghanistan, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates would showcase their products at the fair.

The ITPO said that new and young entrepreneurs have been provided space at 50 percent discount.

Entry of schoolchildren will also be allowed during business days (November 14 to 18).

Tickets will cost Rs.30 on public days and Rs.50 on weekends or holidays. Tickets can be purchased online for business days.

Senior citizens and differently-abled would be given free entry from November 19 to 27.

"There shall be no advance sale of tickets. The ticket sale counters may be closed earlier if tickets for the day are sold out. Entry will close at 5 p.m. every day," it said.

The fair will be open from 9.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Meanwhile, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) will participate in the IITF 2015 with a view to spread financial literacy and investor education.

The main focus of the SEBI exhibition will be to showcase the well-regulated Indian securities market, its various products and spreading investor education and awareness against illegal money mobilisation schemes through talk shows by market experts and skits.

It will also display major investor friendly policies and facilities and live demonstration of Sebi Complaints Redress System.