Four-day CII annual festive shopping event begins

The 28th edition of the CII Chandigarh Fair 2025, the region’s flagship festive shopping and trade event, was inaugurated by Sanjeev Arora, Punjab’s Minister for Industries & Commerce, Investment Promotion, Power and NRI Affairs, at Parade Ground, Sector 17, here on Friday.

Organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Northern Region, the four-day fair has drawn participation from across India, showcasing products, innovations and heritage under a common platform of sustainability and entrepreneurship.

Lauding the efforts of the CII for consistently hosting the event over nearly three decades, Arora urged the industry body to replicate such trade fairs across major cities of Punjab to further promote investment, commerce and local enterprise.

“The CII Chandigarh Consumer Fair is very well organised and attended by participants from all over India,” he said after inaugurating the event.

The minister was joined on the occasion by Vivek Verma, vice-chairman, CII Chandigarh; Amit Thapar, former chairman, CII Punjab; Ritika Singh, chairperson, Indian Women Network (IWN) Chandigarh; and Sakshi Katyal, co-chairperson, IWN Chandigarh.

Members of the Indian Women Network (IWN) presented a sapling to the minister as a symbolic gesture of green commitment.

Arora visited various stalls and interacted with exhibitors, appreciating the diverse range of innovative products and the entrepreneurial zeal of participants from different states. He commended the CII for fostering a platform that connects consumers, artisans and businesses ahead of the festive season.

On the sidelines of the event, representatives of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) informed the minister of their interest in setting up a full-fledged office in the Tricity region in the near future, a move expected to strengthen the area’s financial and investment ecosystem.