The Gujarat government announced that the VGGS-2022 has been postponed due to an increase in Covid cases in the state. Companies participating in the Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show (VGGTS) 2022 were left in the lurch after the government decided to suspend the exhibition, which had a total investment of approximately Rs 250-300 crore.
According to sources, small vendors were halfway through their projects of setting up pavilions for the mega exhibition event when it was cancelled at the last minute.
The trade show was scheduled to open on January 9 as a precursor to the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2022, but the cancellation at the last minute has left companies with partially completed projects.
“We have designed and set up theme pavilions for two corporates. We were midway through the project when the announcement of postponement came in. Who will pay us in full for incomplete work? We have already dismantled our project as we had to vacate the venue immediately,” said a promoter of a design firm.
The trade show was to be held at Gandhinagar’s Helipad Exhibition Centre, with the central theme Towards a Sustainable & Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The five-day exhibition, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aimed to be bigger, with a multi-sectoral display spanning 2 lakh square metres.
The Gujarat government had designated 13 focal points for the event. The electric vehicle displays, international and national pavilions, and theme pavilions based on the various flagship programmes of the Central and state governments were intended to be the summit’s main attractions, in addition to the theme pavilions based on the various flagship programmes of the Central and state governments.
The total investment for the trade show including the rentals would be about Rs 250-300 crore. The event is an opportunity for companies to showcase their strength and vision. Some companies also use it as a launchpad to announce their new initiatives or products,” said an official associated with the event.
Given the recent increase in the number of daily Covid-19 in the state, the government making the announcement in December would have saved many vendors from incurring losses, according to sources.
“We’ve been told that the exhibition rent will be refunded. But what about the costs of designing and building the pavilions?” enquired an official working for a corporation.