Manipur ready to host First B20 meet; Women will manage stalls

Imphal: Manipur will on Friday host the first of four B20 sessions – the official G20 dialogue forum for the global business community – scheduled in the Northeast.

The conference will be attended by Chief Minister of Manipur N. Biren Singh, Som Prakash, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Government of India, and Dr. RK Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India. Senior government officials from both the state and the center will also be present at the City Convention Center in Imphal on February 17 at 3 pm.

State Education, Law and Legislative Affairs Minister Thounaojam Basantha Kumar briefed the mediapersons about the upcoming program on Thursday. He said that foreign delegates from 23 countries will participate in this event. These countries include Australia, Argentina, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Chad, Canada, China, France, Greece, Iceland, Japan, Nepal, Russia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Switzerland, Tunisia, Uganda, United States and United Kingdom.
The participating dignitaries will consist of 26 overseas business delegates and 24 diplomats, including ambassadors from these countries and India. Apart from this, trade and business delegations and representatives from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Japan and Australia will also participate in this event.

According to the minister, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) will facilitate business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) meetings, which will give overseas delegates an opportunity to interact with local business leaders.

The Chief Minister will also be part of the programme, facilitating B2B and B2G meetings where overseas business delegates can interact with local industry and government for potential investments, collaborations and tie-ups.
Minister Basanta has said that the main focus areas of the state are health and family welfare, skill development, sports, urban development, textiles, finance and taxation, tourism, industry and commerce, IT, agriculture and fisheries. During the three-day event, apart from business meetings, the delegates will visit some of the famous places of Manipur, including the Marjing Polo Statue, Loktak Lake, INA Headquarters, Sangai Ethnic Park, Ima Keithel and Kangla Fort.
The minister stressed the importance of showcasing the culture, history, traditions and hospitality of Manipur to the visiting business delegates, who are among the most powerful nations in the world. He stressed on avoiding any activity that is detrimental to the business meeting, as it is an investment opportunity that should not be missed.
Tourism Commissioner Pradeep Kumar Jha has said that the Manipur government is making elaborate arrangements to capitalize on the presence of a large contingent of international delegates. The government’s aim is not only to showcase investment and partnership opportunities in the state but also to provide a unique experience to the visiting delegates by exposing them to Manipur’s culture, cuisine, art, festivals and natural beauty.
The commissioner has also informed that 117 delegates have been confirmed for the B20 session, out of which 50 are from abroad. Apart from this, 40 stalls will be set up at various locations including Sangai Ethnic Park and City Convention Center, where handicrafts, textiles, organic products etc. will be displayed.
These stalls will be exclusively managed by women to empower women.

Additionally, the commissioner said that all liaison officers and security details assigned to delegations would be women police personnel.