In a first of its kind initiative for boosting export potential of India’s agricultural and processed food products during COVID19 pandemic, APEDA launched its first Virtual Trade Fair (VTF) yesterday on 10^th March 2021. The fair will conclude on March 12, 2021.

The fair with a theme ‘India Rice and Agro Commodity’, will focus on showcasing the exports potential of various agricultural commodities. Importers as well as exporters will be key participants of the VTF. The potential buyers or importers and visitors will get to explore a wide range of food products presented by the exporters through this virtual fair.

The key products which would be displayed through VTF include – basmati rice, non-basmati rice, millets, wheat, maize, groundnut and coarse grains. So far 135 Exhibitors have registered for the VTF. Further 266 Indian and international buyers from United Arab Emirates, Brazil, New Zealand, France, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Fiji, Philippines, Qatar, Sudan, Myanmar, Netherlands, and Peru have registered at the starting of the events. The buyers have been generated with the support of Indian Embassies abroad. An aggressive campaign of Virtual Trade Fair is running on Social media.

Because of COVID19 related restrictions on physical travel and trade, APEDA has initiated the concept of VTF for sustaining India’s agricultural and processed food products exports and also exploring new markets for expanding export footprints.

In the pre-COVID19 era, trade fairs and exhibitions have been instrumental in promoting export of agricultural foods by APEDA. In the VTF, the trade facilitation would take place using interactive technology.

Through VTF, the exporters and importer meetings can be held with no interruption via audio as well as video sessions. The fair provides the facility workshops, product launches, live streams and webinars. The virtual meet will have facilities for private meeting rooms, personalized meeting provisions.

The online interactions between exporters and importers and data exchanged during such interaction will be secured and can be accessed only by parties concerned.

Such virtual events also provide cost effective and productive platforms where the buyers and sellers could negotiate or discuss trade face to face giving a feel of real time exhibitions or fairs.

APEDA has been pioneer in taking IT initiatives in the past in terms of making its process system online, Implementation of traceability and adoption of advanced technology.

YB/SS