India International Mega Trade Fair opens in Kolkata
Although Bangladesh is not participating officially through the government, several Bangladeshi stalls have joined independently
The 24th edition of the India International Mega Trade Fair (IIMTF)-2025 has begun at the Science City grounds in Kolkata.
It is known as the largest trade fair in eastern India and the second largest in the entire country.
Organised jointly by The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI) and GS Marketing Associates, the fair will continue until 26 December.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The 22-day event was formally inaugurated today (6 December) at the Science City Auditorium by Trinamool Congress leader Debashish Kumar, among others.
The primary objective of hosting this mega trade fair is to position Kolkata as a preferred destination for business and commerce, and as a leading centre for retail buyers.
This year, Thailand and Tunisia are the focus countries. Afghanistan and Ghana have been named partner countries.
A total of 17 countries are participating in this year's fair, along with various Indian states. Across categories such as food, clothing, furniture, interior decor, electronics, lifestyle, healthcare, cosmetics, handicrafts and consumer goods, around 1,000 stalls have been set up.
Although Bangladesh is not participating officially through the government, several Bangladeshi stalls have joined independently.
Utpal Roy, President (Sales) of GS Marketing Associates, said the Bangladesh government had initially agreed to participate, but later the Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) put the decision on hold.
"However, ten companies under a well-known Bangladeshi trading organisation, Bangla Craft, have come here with 17 stalls," he said.
So far, visitor interest in the Bangladeshi stalls has been extremely high. According to him, this is because nearly 82% of the people living in Kolkata and its surrounding areas have roots in Bangladesh," he added.
A representative from a Bangladeshi stall said, "We could not participate in this fair last year. This year we are here, and we hope sales will be good."
Another stall representative said, "We are two neighbouring countries, and we want our relationship to always remain good. We are business people and want to come here; similarly, arrangements should be made so that traders from here can go to Bangladesh."
