World class trade centre opens in Hyderabad

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Arun Shourie inaugurated a state-of-the-art international trade centre, Hitex, in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

Hyderabad International Trade Expositions Ltd Exhibition Centre is located on a sprawling a 100- acre site in the fast upcoming Cyberabad region of the state capital.

The first phase of the project, completed in a record 11 months and opened by the union minister, has involved an investment of Rs 47 crore and has a floor area of over 10,000 square metres spread over three exhibition halls.

The Rs 120-crore (Rs 1.2-billion) Hitex project is a 51:49 joint venture between L & T, National Academy of Construction, Hyderabad Urban Development Authority, Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad and the AP Tourism Development Corp.

Planned by Messe Dsseldorf of Germany, one of the world's largest organisers of international trade shows, it envisages facilities for holding international trade and industry fairs on the lines of those held in Germany.

The infrastructure and facilities to be provided at Hitex would surpass those at the trade fair grounds in the country. Hitex will also have a railway siding as in the case of Pragati Maidan.

The maiden fair at Hitex will be Gitex Hyderabad 2003, a major IT exposition organised by the Dubai-based World Trade Centre and beginning on January 22.

The venue of the annual winter horticultural show, generally organised at the Public Gardens, is also being shifted to Hitex grounds. It begins on January 26. Nine other expos are planned for the current year.