Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid a visit to the ‘Crafts Bazaar’ at Bharat Mandapam after concluding the G20 Summit, an exhibition arranged to showcase India’s rich and diverse arts and craftsmanship, each reflecting the uniqueness of its region. He also made a stop at the ‘Digital India Pavilion’, set up as part of the summit to present India’s impressive digital achievements.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at ‘Crafts Bazaar’ in Bharat Mandapam. {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
In a brief 43-second video shared on his official YouTube channel, PM Modi began with the Rajasthan stall and continued to explore Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and other states. At each stall, skilled craftsmen explained their handcrafted products. Additionally, he made time to visit the ‘Focus North East’ stall, where he observed and appreciated the handicrafts from the seven northeastern states of India, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Mizoram.
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In another video, PM Modi was seen engaging with the hardworking “Shramiks” at Bharat Mandapam, sharing moments and capturing photographs with them. Subsequently, he headed to the Digital India Pavilion, dedicated to showcasing various digital advancements that India has achieved.
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These zones at Bharat Mandapam held special significance during the G20 Summit, allowing foreign delegates and guests to immerse themselves in India’s rich culture and digital progress.
Crafts Bazaar
The ‘Crafts Bazaar’ held at Bharat Mandapam – the venue for the G20 World Leaders’ Summit, was designed to showcase a wide array of handicraft products from various regions of India. It laid special emphasis on “One District One Product” items with Geographical Indication (GI) tags, along with creations by women and tribal artisans. Delegates and international media attending the Summit had an opportunity to explore and purchase locally-sourced products.
The exhibition was a collaborative effort between the G20 Secretariat, the Ministry of Textiles, and various state and union territory governments.
Those attending the Crafts Bazaar included representation from around 30 states and union territories, as well as central agencies like the Khadi Village and Industries Commission, TRIFED, and Saras Ajeevika.
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A ‘Focus North East’ stall was established to showcase exceptional handicraft and handloom items from the northeastern regions.
A diverse range of live artisans, including national awardees from across the country, offered live demonstrations of their art and craft. These demonstrations covered various genres, such as Lac Bangles from Rajasthan, Madhubani paintings from Bihar, Thanjavur paintings from Tamil Nadu, and mud mirror work from Gujarat.
Digital India Pavilion
A ‘Digital India Experience Zone’ was set up within Halls 4 and 14 at the Bharat Mandapam, with the primary aim of showcasing India’s digital advancements to member nations and other international guests. This zone has emerged as a significant attraction during the summit, providing delegates with an opportunity to directly witness the transformative impact of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPIs).
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The Digital India narrative, tracing its journey from 2014 onwards, was vividly presented through ‘virtual reality’ in this zone during the summit. This immersive experience effectively highlighted the significant achievements and progress made in the digital domain. Additionally, the Digital Tree display served to elucidate the development of Digital India initiatives.
Seven key initiatives were meticulously selected to showcase the best practices in implementing DPIs, including Aadhaar, DigiLocker, UPI, eSanjeevani, DIKSHA, Bhashini, and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).