State-of-the-art exhibition centre need of the hour

Infrastructure can be used to hold international as well as national meetings, conferences | Introduce new products, services

Ludhiana is known as the industrial hub of Punjab. It's famous for its hosiery and textile industries but it is really a pity that such an industrial hub has no exhibition centres. Big industries have to hire places to exhibit their products to attract buyers. Today, much of our business depends upon advertising. If a proper platform is available, any business can flourish much more than if it would only be manufactured and sold in a shop. Plans should be made and infrastructure should be developed. Banks should provide loan facilities so that big and small manufacturers can start new businesses.

Khushleen Kaur

Give impetus to cycle industry

To promote the bicycle industry in Ludhiana, the government should allot the land to the industry owners for the exhibitions. Rallies on cycles should also be conducted so that more and more people get attracted towards the same. Separate cycle lanes should be constructed so that people could go on cycles without any fear of traffic jams. Cycling competitions could also be organised for easy working of hosieries and industries. Sessions must be conducted by the government authorities so that people could came across the importance of driving bicycle.

Simranjeet kaur

OPEN HOUSE QUESTION

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Allot places for exhibition centres

The government should allot places for exhibition centres to various industrialists on rent in Ludhiana. Nowadays, schools, colleges and different parks are a good option for exhibition centres. It is necessary for attracting the attention of buyers towards the finished goods of industries, as it increases their sales volume which ultimately leads to economic development.

Harleen kaur

Govt should extend support

Exhibition centre is a perfect place for business events. It is an excellent way to raise brand value and generate cognisance. The state government should help the industry to flourish. For this, a permanent exhibition centre is a basic requirement. The government along with the industry should frame committee of innovative members to conduct exhibition annually and make it the most awaited fair like India International Trade Fair (IITF), Delhi. As getting to Delhi is easy for national as well as international buyers, so if industry wants government should help them by hiring a place at IITF so that they can get long-term national and international customers.

GURPREET KAUR

Promote manufactured products

The city lacks dedicated exhibition centres to attract buyers and promote various goods manufactured here. It is somewhat a facility which is greatly required in any business as if there will be no promotion of goods and their services it will directly affect the number of people purchasing that particular goods. This need can be fulfilled by organising dedicated large exhibition auditoriums for promotion of various goods manufactured here. These auditoriums should be situated near famous tourist spots such as Rakh Bagh, Rose Garden, Tiger Safari, Hardy's World etc., so that more and more people could be aware of products manufactured in Ludhiana and purchase them as per their requirement.

VAKITA

Give tax holidays

To promote industrial culture in Ludhiana city local as well as state government must address industrial problems of this city in particular. The government must reserve some space for exhibitions and export promoting units. It must lend sport to the hosiery industry as concentration of hosiery industry is in Ludhiana. Government should give training and other guidance about the latest technology and other methods of production to compete with developed countries. The government should give tax holiday for three years for new industries.

Farzana Khan

Govt must acquire land

Ludhiana is known as Manchester of Punjab and being an industrial city, it produces a number of industrial products like bicycles, hosiery and sewing machines etc. But the city lacks the facility of a fixed place/ground for exhibitions of its industrial products. Holding of exhibitions is a proven and known method for attracting customers from outside for marketing of locally produced goods. In view of the urgent need for exhibiting industrial growth in the city and sale of its products, Ludhiana must reserve a separate piece of land/ground where local industry can exhibit its industrial products permanently or during special sales campaigns for showing to interested dealers and the general public. For this purpose, the government must acquire a piece of land in or around the city and reserve it permanently for exhibition of locally produced industrial goods.

Gautam Dev

Give sops to industries

Among all the districts Ludhiana is ahead in terms of industrial development. To develop industry in Ludhiana, the government should give subsidy as it is given to the industrialists in the neighbouring state Himachal Pradesh in Baddi, HP. More sops should be given to the hosiery industry in particular and others in general. Local government should reduce various types of duties along with GST rates for boosting investment in this sector. Economic zones and industrial clusters must be established for giving various facilities to the industrialists of Ludhiana city. Some exhibition and export promoting zones must be established by the government in the city so that FDI may be invited in Ludhiana city as well. Training, innovation and nano-technology park must be established for the promotion of industry in Ludhiana.

Dr Mohd Saleem Farooqui

Govt should invest in local industries

Due to lack of exhibition centres in the city, industries fail to attract the buyers. The government should work to provide places for holding exhibitions to sell their products on a large scale. Such exhibitions provide exposure to global markets. The exhibitions should be free of cost or have nominal entry tickets to attract buyers. The government should invest in local industries and try to expand the market. A growing city has to gear itself to meet the challenge at hand by proper town planning and efficient execution. To sustain its participation in the country's industrial growth in the face of stiff competition, Ludhiana needs institutional support in terms of centres of excellence such as universities to set up knowledge based industries or services.

Urvashi

Use vacant govt buildings

It is the duty of the state government to establish or built an exhibition centre so that huge amount paid to the private middlemen for the usage of their places can be saved. There are many government buildings which has been constructed as malls or complexes and are still lying vacant as no one is ready to purchase them. The government must use that vacant complexes as an exhibition centre without incurring much cost. It can collect revenue by charging nominal fees from the exhibitors and can cover up the cost.

Ritu Priya

Build big exhibition centres

It is high time to promote sale of bicycles, their parts, hosiery goods, etc., the Punjab government should construct few big halls or foyers/centres in the city where manufacturers can periodically hold expositions for the public in general and their customers in particular. For displaying their products the industrial and business houses should not be charged anything. This will be a shot in their arm that they so badly need.

Dr Sunil Chopra

Multi-purpose centre required

Ludhiana is known as the industrial capital of Punjab. But it is an irony that it does not have any exhibition centre to hold exhibitions, conferences, meetings or any other social functions for the business community. Often businessmen have to hire places for such programmes. The government should either make necessary arrangements for building the centres or should provide funds to the business organisations to pay for the rent for hiring the places. Some social organisations can also come forward for the cause of the industry which is the backbone of our economy. This will not only help businessmen to attract the buyers, but also organise their family functions at the discounted rates. During off days the same building can be rented out to others, thereby helping in generating extra funds for the business community.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi

OPEN HOUSE COMMENT

Need govt support to woo buyers, investors

Shivani Bhakoo

Ludhiana has created a niche in the global map in exporting many products to countries all over the world.

These products range from bicycle/parts to garments or hosiery products. Manufactured products in bulk are exported to countries by local manufacturers. But till date, no government has been able to provide them a good exhibition centre equipped with all state-of-the art facilities. Respective governments came, proposed such centers but none saw the light of the day.

Manufacturers/organisations spend lakhs of rupees in setting up exhibition centers by paying hefty amounts for an exhibition of 3-4 days. At times, product-wise exhibitions are held in hotels to invite buyers and show them the products. It has been long pending demand of traders to build an exhibition center but there has still not been any progress and these proposed centers remain on papers only.

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