In a bid to put Uttar Pradesh on the national and international investment map and make it a new business destination, the Indian Industries Association (IIA) is all set to rope in as many as 400 exhibitors from all over the country, and even from foreign shores, to its twin food and industrial trade expo in February 2008.

Apart from showcasing the current trends in industry and equipment, the fifth India food expo and third industrial expo will also try and project Uttar Pradesh as an agricultural and manufacturing hub, second to none. “Uttar Pradesh is a leader in the production of wheat, milk, potatoes and sugar but not many people are aware of this. The common perception is that Punjab is the leading producer of wheat, Gujarat of milk, West Bengal is the largest potato producing state and Maharashtra of sugar. But the fact is that Uttar Pradesh is the biggest producer of all these food crops,” said Parveen Sadana, president IIA.

The four-day long exposition, which will be held from 1 to 4 February next year will also try to bring to the state government’s notice the hurdles that the 15 lakh small and medium industries in the state are facing and work towards putting them on the state government’s priority. “At present the small industries are not on the state government’s priority list. We will make a plea to the government to address their operational problems and provide us with a hurdle-free atmosphere,” said Sadana.

At present, the state has an uneven growth pattern, with the western part having more growth than the central and eastern part. But with the proper projection of the agri and manufacturing potential of the state, this can be rectified. “We will try to spread growth evenly throughout the state and not limit it to a few districts in western Uttar Pradesh, bordering Delhi only,” said Manish Goel, chairman of the exhibitions.

While last year trade fair was able to rope in 250 exhibitors, the IIA aims to increase the number of exhibitors to 400 this year, with some exhibitors coming in from Turkey, the United Kingdom, South Africa and Pakistan. “We have already received queries for potato and meat processing machinery from Pakistan and hope to get many more orders for our entrepreneurs, both from within and outside the country said D S Verma, executive director of IIA.

The IIA also sought a permanent exhibition ground in the state capital on the lines of Pragati Maidan in the national capital. This, the IIA felt, would cut the immense cost associated with exhibitions and also help draw more business to the state.