Industry
Mint Explainer: What makes ITPO, India’s new convention centre, special?
Summary
- The G20 event is set to take place at the ITPO complex which required over three years of redevelopment with investments worth over ₹2,600 crore
The Narendra Modi government is preparing to welcome more than 40 leaders of visiting delegations to New Delhi next month for the concluding summit of the G20. The significant event is set to take place at the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) complex which required over three years of redevelopment with investments worth over ₹2,600 crore. Mint details the features of the new convention centre, which is one of the largest in the world.
• The Pragati Maidan Ccomplex with a campus area of approximately 123 acres is India’s largest MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) destination. It is among the world's top ten convention centres such as Hannover Exhibition Centre in Germany, and the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Shanghai.
• The site is owned by India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO) and was being redeveloped by state-owned construction company NBCC (India) Ltd since 2017. Level three of the structure has a seating capacity of 7,000 people which is larger than the seating capacity of Sydney Opera House in Australia at 5,500.
• The exhibition halls offer seven spaces for showcasing products, innovations, and ideas. These provide a platform for exhibitors and companies to engage with their target audience, fostering business growth and networking opportunities.
• The IECC is home to an amphitheater with a seating capacity of 3,000 people which is equivalent to three PVR theaters combined. Besides, it has a parking capacity of 5,500 vehicles.
• The facility, with an area of nearly 123 acres, was built after overhauling the old structures in the area and was developed at a cost of ₹2,700 crore. This is equivalent to nearly one-third of the Delhi government's budget size for FY23.
• The G-20 Leaders’ Summit will take place in Delhi on 9-10 September and will be chaired by India. The Group of Twenty (G-20) includes countries such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Türkiye, United Kingdom and United States and the European Union.
• The shape of the building is derived from the ‘shankha’ (conch shell), and different walls and facades of the convention centre depict several elements of India's traditional art and culture.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi last month performed a 'havan' at the inauguration of the new International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) at Pragati Maidan and felicitated the workers involved in the construction.
• During the inauguration, Modi said that India will be among the third largest economies of the world in his third term and the ITPO complex will boost conference tourism in India and accrue economic and tourism-related benefits.
• Construction major Shapoorji Pallonji had won the government’s ₹2,600-crore project to redevelop the ITPO complex in the national capital into an exhibition-cum-convention center.
