India at Expo 2020

Introduction
The exposition (Expo) is a global event sanctioned by the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE). The expo is held every five years and lasts up to six months. The world expo offers participating countries a platform to showcase investment opportunities, encourage international collaborations and boost economic growth. Through this initiative, the expo aims to encourage visitors to leverage the technological capabilities of participating countries and accelerate innovations worldwide. The BIE also recognises other global exhibitions such as specialised expo and international horticultural exhibitions. Specialised expos are usually held between two world expos and go on for about three months.

World’s Key Expositions (2015-25)

The world expo plays a significant role in bringing innovations to a global platform and driving innovative transformations worldwide. A few historical innovations that were first showcased in the world expo include the following:

Due to the historical significance, world expos register an active participation from countries across the world to interact with global stakeholders and explore new business opportunities.

Dubai Expo 2020

What is Dubai Expo 2020?

In November 2013, the BIE announced Dubai as the host city for world expo 2020. Preparation for the expo 2020 was estimated to generate ~277,000 jobs in the UAE, attract funds inflow of ~US$ 40 billion and record visitors up to ~25-100 million.

Dubai is hosting ‘Dubai Expo 2020’, a world expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. Previously, the event was scheduled to take place between October 2020 and April 2021. However, it was postponed due to the outbreak of coronavirus. In October 2021, the ‘Dubai Expo 2020’ kickstarted in Dubai after the gradual opening of the travel, trade and businesses after the pandemic-induced lockdowns and restrictions.

The expo is expected to attract visitors from across the world in Dubai, which offers the region a huge opportunity to showcase itself as an attractive investment destination. In addition, the expo extends a platform to several participating countries such as India, the Netherlands, Ethiopia and Italy to showcase their capabilities and investment opportunities.

Key highlights of Dubai Expo 2020

Dubai Expo 2020 – Country Pavilions

The Dubai Expo 2020 offers each participating country its own pavilion to showcase its technology capabilities, cultures, cuisines, etc. Further, each country has been allocated under the sub-theme districts. Key country pavilions are as follows:

India Pavilion Expo 2020
India, with 8,750 m² of area in the Dubai World Expo 2020, is one of the largest county pavilions. The country has a four-floor pavilion located under the ‘opportunity’ sub-theme district. It showcases India’s diversity, cultures, cuisines and other areas including ayurveda, yoga and space programmes.

‘India Pavilion Expo 2020’ is expected to strengthen its bilateral ties with the UAE and Dubai and attract global investors to the country.

Key Highlights of the India Pavilion at Expo 2020

Unique Features

The four-floor Indian pavilion showcases an ambient & futuristic environment and the latest technologies such as projection mapping and installations powered by augmented reality. The pavilion highlights India’s growth story in key areas such as the country’s achievements in the health & wellness sector, vast history of alternate medicine system & ayurveda and journey into space.

India Pavilion Expo 2020 – Participating Ministries

Key Indian ministries participating in the Indian Pavilion are as follows:

India Pavilion Expo 2020 – Participating States

The Indian states and union territories (UTs) participating in the expo exhibit the culture, food and business opportunities. The participating states and UTs are as follows:

India Pavilion Expo 2020 – Participating Companies

Global companies including various large Indian conglomerates are participating in the expo to interact with new customers and explore new business opportunities at the India Pavilion. Key companies participating in the Indian Pavilion are as follows:

Corporate Partners

Key Initiatives & Opportunities
The Indian government is taking various initiatives at the Indian Pavilion to further boost technological development opportunities and attract global investors into the country. Key initiatives include the following:

• The India Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai will highlight achievements of India’s leadership to fight against COVID-19, initiatives for climate change, progress to become a US$ 5 trillion economy by 2025 and development as a global business hub offering huge opportunities for global investors.
• India is making advancements in the areas of technology, research and innovation. Dr. Aman Puri, Consul General of India in Dubai & Deputy Commissioner General for India, stated that India has the third-largest start-up ecosystem in the world, with >60,000 start-ups. This adds to the attractiveness of the country among global investors willing to explore innovative products & services.
• The ‘Space Week’, which started from October 17, 2021, highlights India’s roadmap in the space sector, technological capabilities, industry-specific policies and successful missions (for example, placing 104 satellites into orbit in a single mission). Following this, the ‘Space Week’ covers follow-up sessions in areas such as space for start-ups, opportunities in space, future of space international participation & collaborations, research opportunities, space for sustainable businesses and building capacity.
  • The discussions are expected to offer investors and key stakeholders an opportunity to explore the potential areas of investments in India.
• The UAE is a huge market for products in gems, jewellery, textile, leather footwear, processed food products, etc., which are labour oriented and offer jobs to thousands of Indians. Further strengthening of the India-UAE partnership would be a win-win for both countries and contribute to the growth opportunities of start-ups.
  • In line with this, India is focusing on strengthening its partnership with the UAE and further growing in the international market. In Expo 2020, India and the UAE conducted a review meeting on the India-UAE ‘Joint Task Force’ on investments. Both countries mutually agreed to continue exploring areas of interest and facilitate investments for further economic growth.
• The Expo 2020 offers a golden opportunity to students to get global exposure, learn and get inspired. India Pavilion has invited Indian school students to attend the World Expo. This will help students to participate in global events and compete in the areas of design, yoga, etc., which will contribute to their overall learning development.

Conclusion
India is among the few countries to have a permanent pavilion at the expo. It has invested Rs. 490 crore (US$ 65.70 million) to establish the pavilion, which is a permanent asset for India in Dubai, even beyond the expo. Keeping the long-term outlook, the pavilion design and structure is flexible, where each floor can double up for offices and converted back to a space for cultural events and trade.

The global confidence in India’s capabilities has been increasing significantly throughout 2021. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow in India stood at US$ 27.37 billion in the first four months of FY22, an increase of 62% YoY. In the review period, the automobile sector recorded the highest share of the total FDI inflow at 23%, followed by computer software & hardware at 18% and services at 10%.

India’s overall economic growth is driven by significant domestic demand and supportive government schemes. The Indian government is focusing on industry-specific schemes (such as production-linked incentive scheme for sectors such as textiles, electronics manufacturing, food processing, etc.) to attract investments, boost domestic manufacturing and increase exports. Several companies such as Amazon, Apple and Samsung are leveraging these schemes to benefit from the incentives.

India is also taking many initiatives to fuel growth in sectors such as science & technology and engineering. As of September 2021, >1,430 global capability centres (GCCs) have been set up in India, employing >1.3 million scientists and engineers. The GCCs are expected to further contribute to the growth of engineering and research & development (ER&D) market in India. As per NASSCOM, India's share in the global ER&D market is expected to increase at a CAGR of ~12-13% to reach ~US$ 63 billion by 2025, from an estimated ~US$ 31 billion in 2019.

At a time when India is making significant developments across various sectors, Dubai World Expo 2020 acts as a catalyst for cementing the country’s overall growth in the global market. Supported by active participation of various Indian government ministries, 15 states & UTs and several large Indian conglomerates, India Pavilion at the Expo 2020 is expected to not only attract global investors in various sectors, but also contribute to further strengthen India’s leading position in the world.