Members of Industries and Trade Fair Association of Assam (ITFAA) cutting cake on the occasion of Silver Jubilee celebration of International Guwahati Trade Fair' in Guwahati on Wednesday. UB

The International Guwahati Trade Fair (IGTF) has stepped into its 25th edition in 2018 – the Silver Jubilee edition.

Organised by the Industries and Trade Fair Association of Assam (ITFAA), International Guwahati Trade Fair 2018 was started in 1993 with just 50 participants.

The members of the Industries and Trade Fair Association of Assam (ITFAA) celebrated the Silver Jubilee of the Fair by cutting cake in Guwahati on Wednesday.

The IGTF, which has emerged as one of the major platforms for the buyers and sellers in the Northeastern region, began its journey depending heavily on the government and public sectors.

Informing that the 25th edition of the IGTF will begin on February 2 and conclude on February 18, 2018, Rajesh Das, vice-president of the Industries and Trade Fair Association of Assam (ITFAA), the organizers of the International Guwahati Trade Fair said, “We first started the International Guwahati Trade Fair in 1993 and the first edition of the Fair was joined by only 50 participants.”

He also stated, “In the initial stage, as the business houses from outside the region did not want to come here, we had to depend mostly on the government and public sector companies for patronage and also participation in the Fair.”

The IGTF was initially named as the Guwahati Trade Fair and there was international participation for the first time in 2000.

The Fair has now grown into one of the most preferred destination for international participation, the organizers said.

Das further informed that this year, in the International Guwahati Trade Fair 2018, there will be a total of 400 registered participants.

Ahead of the Global Investors’ Summit to be held at Maniram Dewan Trade Centre in Guwahati on February 3 and 4, 2018, the organisers of the IGTF urged the Central Government for abolishing the provision of special clearance needed for Pakistani business houses to participate in trade fairs in the Northeast.