India’s first and perhaps the largest international cooperative trade fair IICTF 2019 scheduled for October in Delhi attracted a lot of attention at Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam when Indian Central Registrar Dr Abhilaksh Likhi informed the assembled audience about it.
In his sterling presentation in the Asia Pacific Co-operative Registrars’ Forum, Likhi unveiled the idea of C2C (Cooperative to Cooperative) business model on the lines of B2B which would be showcased by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) from 11 to 13 October in Pragati Maidan in Delhi.
“The fair would encapsulate sales promotion, marketing, product display, conferences, buyer-seller meets, networking and policy advocacy with focus on agriculture and allied sectors”, said Indian Registrar.
Besides the assembled international audience Vietanami’s media also picked the story and splashed it next day. “It is heartening to note that NCDC is using all co-operative congregations to spread words about the proposed fair and such proactive attitude is rather rare in the cooperative sector”, said a participant.
Back home in Delhi a jubilant Managing Director of NCDC Sundeep Nayak said to Indian Cooperative” India International Coop Trade Fair Roadshow was organized at Ho Chi Minh City on 17 April. Newspapers covered the 
show jointly launched by Sri Lankan Vice Chairman of NEDAC.” It’s our second roadshow and the first one was in March in Bangkok, Nayak added.
Echoing his words FISHCOPFED MD B K Mishra who was present on the occasion in Vietnam said ”Indeed participants evinced lots of interest in the fair. Soon after the Central Registrar spoke about it, leaflets were distributed to each participants inviting them to participate in the biggest global level co-op fair; Chief Director of NCDC was active explaining to people the scope of the co-op fair, he added.
Earlier, Ambassador of India to Thailand Mrs Suchitra Durai had addressed the members of FAO-NEDAC at Bangkok in March and discussed IICTF 2019. The numbers have gone up since but at the time there were 29 delegates from 9 countries who had resolved to showcase in the International Cooperatives Trade Fair at New Delhi on 11-13 October 2019.
In the high voltage co-op event- Asia Pacific Co-operative Registrars’ Forum, more than 300 delegates and 100 co-operative organizations from 33 countries and territories in the Asia Pacific region participated. There were also several representatives from ICA global body including Mr Bruno Roelants, Director General.
Indian contingent was also pretty strong. More than 15 cooperators from India were there including NCUI Governing Council member and its CE K Sivadasan Nair and N Satyanarayan respectively, Nafed MD Sanjiv Chaddha, Fishcopfed MD B K Mishra, Nafscob MD Bhima Subramaniyam, Buldana Urban CEO Sukesh Zamwar, women co-op leader from South Nandini Azad, among others.
