New Delhi (Agency): New Delhi is gearing up to open its second world-class exhibition and conference centre next month, according to senior officials. The first phase of the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) at Dwarka is a project built at a cost of over Rs 5,400 crore ($722 million). This new facility aims to make New Delhi a significant player in the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) sector.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the centre back in September 2018. The project is developed in two phases. Phase-I includes a convention centre and two exhibition halls with adjoining foyers and support facilities. Phase-II will add three more exhibition complexes, an arena, hotels, retail, and office spaces.
Spanning over an area of 221.37 acres, the project is estimated to cost around Rs 25,703 crore ($3.4 billion). The centre will be one of Asia’s largest facilities for hosting global MICE events, said Sumita Dawra, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of IICC Dwarka. “We already have major global events lined up till October 2024,” Dawra added.
The new centre aims to bring New Delhi into competition with major Asian cities like Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Singapore in the exhibition market. The Phase-I project area covers 8.97 lakh square meters, and its built-up area includes the exhibition area, convention centers, and an arena.
“It will have the space to host over 11,000 participants and will be one of the largest covered spaces created in the country,” said Dawra. The centre will also feature an auditorium with a seating capacity of 6,000 and a ballroom that can accommodate 2,500 people. Additionally, 13 other conference rooms are planned, with capacities ranging from 68 to 822 people.
The centre is strategically located near the Delhi International Airport and the business hub of Gurugram, with dedicated access to the Delhi Airport Express Metro Line.
Managed by Kinexin Convention Management Pvt Ltd, the IICC aims to help India grab a bigger slice of the global MICE market. Currently, China dominates the Asian MICE market, accounting for more than 68% of the total available exhibition space. In contrast, India has only 0.3 million square meters, a mere 4.9% share in Asia.
