Guwahati: The Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) along with GTAC Tea Lounge promoted Assam Tea at the Assam Pavilion of the 42nd India International Trade Fair (IITF) at Pragati Maidan in New Delhi for the second time in a row.
The 42nd IITF which began on November 13, will conclude on November 27.
“It is a proud moment for the Assam Tea Industry and all the tea lovers of Assam,” said Dinesh Bihani, chairman, GTAC Tea Lounge, Guwahati.
“Tea lounge is attracting a large number of visitors across India to its stall where the best of Assam Gardens Single Origin Tea Packets are made available for sale and the best brewed CTC milk tea, Orthodox red tea and Green tea is being served,” Bihani said.
“Since the per capita tea consumption of India is very low as compared to the other countries, The Assam government wants to promote Assam Tea,” he said.
“This has been a very successful event for GTAC. Today at the IITF, GTAC Tea offers the Best quality brewed single-origin Tea to all the visitors for free on the occasion of the Celebration of Assam Day,” he added.
Assam Day was celebrated at the ongoing 42nd India IITF 2023 at the Pragati Maidan here on Wednesday.
Assam minister for industries and commerce, Bimal Borah was the chief guest at the function.
Speaking on the occasion, Borah said Assam has seen a remarkable surge on the development front under the leadership of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and that the state has attracted investments to the tune of Rs 11,000 crore.
The minister also lauded the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the past nine years in different sectors catapulting the country into an Atmanirbhar Bharat, Vikshit Bharat in the world realm. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Start-up India, Digitization India, Make in India, Skill India, Khelo India and other initiatives such as Swacch Bharat and PM’s Vishwakarma have taken the country to great heights and global standing among the comity of nations,” Borah said, adding that we need leaders of Modi’s stature to take ‘New India’ comprising more than 65 per cent of youth population under the age of 35 to greater heights.
The minister has made much effort to showcase the rich cultural heritage of the state and to highlight its strengths in different sectors be it industry and tourism in the fair.
Accompanied by officials, the minister went around the various stalls in the Assam Pavilion and interacted with the officials and employees of government departments and PSUs. As many as five numbers of Government departments and PSUs, including DIPR, tourism, NEDFi, AIDC Ltd, AGMC, 32 MSME units and two start-ups are participating in the fair.
The DIPR stall showcasing the State of Assam, including tourism has drawn much appreciation from the visitors and officials visiting the Assam Pavilion. “We are elated that all the hard work put in by Secretary of Information & Public Relations Department, Arundhati Chakraborty and Director of Information & Public Relations, Manabendra Dev Ray have enabled us to earn encomiums from visitors and officials alike,” said an elated Indrani Deka, Art Adviser and Branch Officer, Exhibition.
Various cultural dance forms like Satriya dance, Jhumur dance, Hajong, and Bihu dance showcasing the rich cultural heritage and diversity of Assam were performed. Well-known artists Bhrigu Kashyap and Ridip Rankit regaled the audience with their renditions at Amphitheatre 1 at Pragati Maidan.
The Assam Pavilion was inaugurated by Additional Chief Secretary of Industries and Commerce, Dr Ravi Kota on November 14.
A slew of initiatives of the Assam government like One District One Product, GI products such as Assam Lemon, Gamusa, Muga silk, etc. along with traditional dresses of Assam, Ease of Doing Business, Assam Start-Up, etc are being promoted in the fair.
Joint Director, Commissionerate of Industries and Commerce, Government of Assam, Shantanu Deori is the Pavilion Director of the Assam Pavilion.
The theme of this year’s IITF is ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – United by Trade’.