The four-day global expo and summit Vibrant Tamil Nadu - Food Edition 2018, organised here by Tamil Nadu Chamber Foundation to showcase the State’s potential in the food sector came to an end on Wednesday.
Terming the expo as a grand success, S. Rethinavelu, Creative Head of the expo, said the business enterprises that had set up stalls at the expo had received committed orders for export of goods worth ₹172 crore.
Negotiations and agreements with the potential for another ₹780 crore of exports was also made during the expo, he added.
Apart from around 600 foreign delegates, the organisers said the 180 stalls set up at the expo witnessed a footfall of around 12,000 during the four days of the expo.
“The expo has particularly helped around 50 start-up companies that had set up stalls,” Ms. Rethinavelu added.
The expo, which will be an annual event henceforth, will take place from August 12 to August 15 in 2019, the organisers announced.
Lauding Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and its foundation for organising the expo, Karumuttu T. Kannan, chairman and managing director, Thiagarajar Mills, who spoke at the valedictory function, expressed hope that the expo would prove to be a game changer in promoting trade, particularly with respect to food sector, in Madurai and southern districts.
Pointing out the high demand for spices abroad, he suggested that Madurai region must try to become a hub for spice production and trade.
K. Thirupathi Rajan, chairman of the expo and chairman, Export Promotion Centre, elaborated on the efforts that went into organising road shows in foreign countries that helped in bringing more delegates.
On the last day of the expo, an attempt to create a world record by making 1,000 kg of bean salad with a variety of lentils was made by chef M.S. Rajmohan.