The Odisha pavilion won the prestigious ‘Special Appreciation Certificate for excellence in display’ in the category of ‘State Government and Union Territory’ on Sunday at the 41st edition of India International Trade Fair(IITF), 2022. held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
The trade fair which began on November 14 concluded this Sunday. In the mega trade fair, 29 states and Union territories had participated along with big corporate and foreign countries.
Indramani Tripathy, director, I&PR, government of Odisha and Subash Nial, director, Odisha Pavilion at IITF, 2022, have received the award from Pradeep Singh Kharola, chairman and managing director, ITPO on the final day of the trade fair, the Odisha government said in a statement.
The Odisha pavilion was inaugurated on November 14 by the state’s minister for Panchayati Raj forest Pradip Amat. It showcased numerous products manufactured locally by rural women artisans and entrepreneurs under the theme “Vocal for Local, Local to Global” in line with chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s vision to empower women and rural entrepreneurs of the state, the statement read.
The Odisha pavilion also showcased the rich cultural heritage, handicrafts and handlooms of Odisha which were a great attraction for visitors at the trade fair. A total of 24 stalls had been opened in the Odisha pavilion where famous handloom, government-owned handicrafts and handlooms outlets like Boyanika, Utkalika along with various departments and agencies of the state government such as Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, ORMAS, SERIFED, Mission Shakti, Industries, ST&SC Development, Start Up Odisha participated.
Upcoming events such as ‘Make in Odisha’, ‘Hockey Men’s World Cup’ as well as Millet Mission Mascot ‘Mili’ were also displayed in the pavilion.
The Odisha pavilion was conceptualised by Virtu Communications of Bhubaneswar and fabrication was done by Bharati Chitralaya, Cuttack.
On November 24, Odisha State Day was celebrated at Pragati Maidan. The cultural extravaganza marked the celebrations with the enthralling performance of various cultural troupes that participated in the event. Cultural and dance programmes like Odissi, Dalkhai, Bajasal and modern fusion dance were performed. Besides, the latest issues of Utkala Prasanga and Odisha Review were also released by the guests.
The pavilion had also witnessed lakhs of footfalls, including students from various educational institutes in and around Delhi, and a sale turnover to the tune of around ₹40 lakh has been made during the event, the government stated.