Madurai is all set to host a unique international exhibition, the first of its kind in the State showcasing products made in Tamil Nadu, from August 12 to 15.
Vibrant Tamil Nadu Food Edition 2018, a global expo and summit, will be a confluence of farmers, food processing entrepreneurs, scientists, officials and traders. Conceived as a brand, Vibrant Tamil Nadu will be an annual feature showcasing the various facets of the State’s industry - textiles, garments, building materials, jewellery and Information Technology. But the food edition will be a permanent annual feature, according to S. Rethinavelu, the creative head of the event and chairman of Tamil Nadu Chamber Foundation (TNCF), which conducts the event in association with Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Export Promotion Centre, Young Entrepreneur School and Global Network, Gujarat. It is supported by Department of Agricultural Marketing of the State government, Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority, Coconut Board and Export Credit Guarantee Corporation.
Speaking about the necessity to hold a global expo in Madurai, Mr. Rethinavelu says that after conducting an annual fair for 15 years it was felt that the time had come to move forward. The context also demanded the need to showcase Tamil Nadu’ s potential in agriculture and allied fields. Hence Vibrant Tamil Nadu was conceived with the assistance of Jagat Shah of Global Network, Gujarat, the person behind the Vibrant Gujarat show.
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The four-day event in Madurai will have participants from 30 countries across the globe, besides a strong local presence. An array of products, from ‘farm to fork,’ including commodities, food products and industrial kitchen equipment, will be on display at the food summit.
The highlight of the event will be signing of memorandums of understanding with 12 countries by the TNCF. The MoUs will facilitate development of bilateral food trade, says Mr. Rethinavelu. In addition, individual establishments will enter into inter-State and international business contracts. There is a high possibility of floating many joint ventures, he says. The TNCF, assures Mr. Rethinavelu, will fully perform the mentor’s role for food exporters by holding their hands till their objective is realised, even after the summit.
The food fair at the expo will dish out ethnic food items. A Guinness record of preparing 1001 kg of beans salad on a single tray will be attempted at the venue on August 15.The expo will be held at Ida Scudder Auditorium, Velammal Medical College, Ring Road, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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