Varanasi to host ICE-2007 from Oct 17

Varanasi, Aug 25:Varanasi will host the three-day India Carpet Expo (ICE-2007) from October 17 to 19.

''This year, we are optimistic that Chief Minister Mayawati, who seems committed to Uttar Pradesh's development, will make it to the fair to be inaugurated by Minister for Textiles Shankar Singh Vaghela on October 17,'' fair convenor Siddhnath Singh said here yesterday.

The show space will be sold to more than 200 exporters from across the country at the expo which is likely to be visited by over 250 buyers from overseas, mostly the US, Europe and Asia Pacific Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC) Chairman Ashok Jain said.

''We have already received confirmations from 94 buyers. Last year, the Business to Business (B2B) show was visited by 161 buyers.

This year we target to book orders worth Rs 500 crore from overseas buyers at the show whose 2000 metre space has already been booked by exhibitors from across the country, including Bhadohi, Jaipur, Panipat and Jammu and Kashmir,'' he added.

The exporters, the Chairman said, were also invited from Nepal, China and Pakistan to exhibit their products.

''A special counter has been set up at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad to help the carpet exporters from across the border to participate in the expo. Last year, Pakistani carpet makers had failed to make it to the fair owing to delay in visa clearances,'' Mr Jain noted.

UNI