VCCI 99: A dream comes true for entrepreneurs

VADODARA, Feb 18: For the more than 500 entrepreneurs and businessmen who took part in the VCCI-99' the fourth National Industrial Exhib...

VADODARA, Feb 18: For the more than 500 entrepreneurs and businessmen who took part in the VCCI-99′ the fourth National Industrial Exhibition and Catalogue Show of industrial and allied products and services, it was a dream come true. Because it was here that they found an opportunity to expand their market.

Organised by the Vadodara Chamber of Commerce and Industries (VCCI) and inaugurated by Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel on Thursday morning, the five-day exhibition provided a platform — as sprawling as nine-lakh-sq-ft at Laxmi Vilas Palace ground — for 542 stalls put up by exhibitors from different parts of the country.

Exhibitors participating in the exhibition showcased a gamut of industries including engineering, automobiles, computers, office equipment, communication hi-tech gadgets and services provided by financial institutions. A special stall set up SSG doctors also featured in the exhibition.

Story continues below this ad

Also, what attracted the visitors was the organisers’ attempts to provide a chance to all business houses to know each other’s requirement and plan their growth accordingly.

“That’s true”, said Devar Piran, a scientist from Defence Research and Development Organisation, who is managing the DRDO stall. “We have put up details and models of our hundreds of products, like tanks and missiles, and invited entrepreneurs to work for us at our 52 laboratories in the country.”

H K Mishra, Materials Manager of the IOC, also seemed delighted to receive enquiries about IOC’s over 38,000 items such as helmets, gloves and several types of pipes. “I was thrilled to see the interest of small- and medium-scale industrialists who were keen to provide us with such items,” he said.

According to Jahanvi Mehta Adhikary, Sales Promotion Executive of FAG Precision Bearing Limited, their purpose of setting up a stall had been served by the effectiveness of the show.

Story continues below this ad

While Senior Manager (Marketing) of GSFCL B D Adharyu and plastic processing incharge T B Lad said they had benefited by updating their knowledge, Narinder Singh and Dharmesh Shah of Kapurthala Durastic Private Limited, Piyush Panchal, owner of the Metal Craft Industries, said they saw an excellent opportunity to discuss, plan and grow with several business houses around in the next five days.

Even stall hosts of Larsen and Toubro and Asea Brown Boveri Limited said that they were flooded with injuries from a variety of companies.

A special Information Technology (IT) Pavilion was put up by about 100 participants including companies like Intel and Microsoft.

A crowd of industrialists, interested in getting the latest information about the latest communication systems, could be seen at Software Technology Parks of India throughout Thursday.

Story continues below this ad

When asked why people thronged the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation’s stall, U S Parmar, Marketing Manager, GIDC, and his assistant A K Bhatt, explained, “Entrepreneurs from the city are keen to know where can they set up their units. And I am happy to see such a response.” Parmar added that while there were only about 150 estates in Gujarat, they planned to set up 125 more with best facilities in near future.

Besides, 64 KBP Internet-leased lines have been provided at the exhibition site by the STPI. Facilities such as Internet stock exchange, Net-meeting, E-Commerce, Internet/Extranet have also been provided besides the entire show being On-line.

According to exhibition chairman Nilesh Shukla, though the show had cost them about Rs 1 crore, participants’ satisfaction was more important to him.

There would be special functions in days to come including seminars on Kalpsar Project’ on Friday, Vadodara and the new millennium’ on Sunday and Educational systems and industries’ on Monday.