The Kanchanpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry has completed preparations to hold Indo-Nepal Trade and Tourism Fair in Dehradun, India.

The event will last from March 5-11 and is designed to promote Nepali goods and tourism destinations, the organiser said. Dehradun, the capital of the Indian state of Uttarakhand, has been chosen as the venue for the fair due to its large population of Nepali-speakers.

Locally manufactured products will be displayed at the week-long fair. Goods manufactured by cottage and small industries will be the chief exhibits. Different kinds of services will also be promoted at the event, the organiser said in a statement.

The fair will host 150 stalls, 50 from Nepal and the rest from India.

“We had planned to have a total of 250 stalls including at least 150 from Nepal. But it didn’t happen due to a number of issues,” said Madhav Prasad Joshi, first vice-president of the Kanchanpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Items like handicraft, garments, dried foods and herbal products besides tourism stalls will lead Nepal’s presence at the fair, he added. “India has a huge population. The idea behind the event is to give Nepali products access to the Indian market.”  

The fair will also promote Nepal’s tourism products by involving travel agencies and hotel and resort operators, among others. “The aim is to promote the cultural heritage of Nepal through products and tourism,” the chamber said.

Joshi added that there would be B2B (business-to-business) meetings between tourism entrepreneurs from Nepal and India. “Tie-ups between Nepali and Indian tourism entrepreneurs can help businesses in both countries to bloom.”

The organisers expect a footfall of 300,000 during the fair. There are 1.2 million Nepali-speakers in Dehradun, the Kanchanpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry said.

“The Nepali diaspora in Dehradun is big. Apart from that, the fair will appeal to other Indians too. We are certain to achieve this target,” Joshi said.  

According to the organisers, the event is being supported by the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Export Promotion Centre (TEPC), Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and Nepal Tourism Board (NTB).

Joshi said that the fair was the first attempt of its kind by any district chamber, and that they intended to hold it on a regular basis.