Industrial fair from Feb 18

VADODARA, Feb 15: Seminars on information technology, more than 500 stalls from different sectors of industries and access of the event o...

VADODARA, Feb 15: Seminars on information technology, more than 500 stalls from different sectors of industries and access of the event on the web site will be some of the highlights of the 4th National Industrial Exhibition and Catalogue Show, organised by the Vadodara Chamber of Commerce and Industry VCCI from February 18.

Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel will inaugurate the three-day exhibition at the Laxmi Vilas Palace Ground, while Industries Minister Suresh Mehta would be the chief guest. The inauguration will also feature a laser show.

Addressing reporters here on Monday, exhibition chairman Nilesh Shukla said the event expected to attract four lakh visitors. While business visitors can visit the exhibition from 10 am to 4 pm, the general public will be allowed from 4 to 10 pm. Entry is free for the common public.

Small-scale to mega industries specialising in engineering, machinery, machine tools, instrumentation, and information technology will participate in the exhibition, which will have 542 stalls. Shukla said three foreign companies had agreed to participate in the event, adding 46 embassies had helped by apprising industries abroad of the event.

Shukla said the exhibition was being organised to provide opportunities for business. 8220;Our past experiences have shown that the companies representing in the exhibition bag a number of orders,8221; he claimed, adding, this time students of management studies would be asked to conduct a detailed study.

The IT programmes have been co-sponsored by the Baroda Information Technology Association BITA, which was set up to give an impetus to information technology in Vadodara.

Claiming that it was for the first time that an exhibition would be on the Internet, he said about 20 crore users could access the exhibition on-line.

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The Faculty of Journalism and Communication, MSU will bring out a special bulletin and Faculty of Technology and Engineering students display their projects at the exhibition.

Shukla said the catalogue show, organised jointly by the Indo-American Chamber of Commerce, would offer a platform to display new products and services. The photocopies of the catalogue will be sold to visitors at the actual cost and a directory of catalogue exhibitors would be also brought out.

The Ministry of Defence will display some recent advancements in the field of research and development in the Vendors Development Information Centre VDIC.

The venue will have facilities to make local calls, first aid centres, parking arrangements and a bank.

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Shukla said the Western Railways would put up an on-line reservation centre at the exhibition, while those participating in the event can submit their forms at a separate counter that has been put up at the Padmavati Shopping Centre.

Shukla regretted that though industries in and around Vadodara contributed greatly towards the industrial sector, the city was yet to have a permanent exhibition centre.