With the aim of promoting domestic products at home and abroad, Nepal 17th International Industrial Trade Fair-2024 is being held in Kathmandu.

The Federation of Nepal Cottage and Small Industries (FNCSI) is going to organise the fair from May 8-12 at Bhrikutimandp in Kathmandu. The FNCSI has been organising these types of fair every year to promote domestic products produced by micro, cottage, small and women entrepreneurs in the country.

"In a country like Nepal, small households and small industries are the carriers of economic development and prosperity, but due to the use of traditional technology and other capacity development, such industries are not able to become competitive and give attractive returns,” said Umesh Prasad Singh, president of FNCSI.

He said that FNCSI, the umbrella organisation of micro, cottage and small industries, has been organising industrial exhibitions regularly at the national, provincial and district levels for a long time to address such aspects and to learn from each other and share knowledge and skills.

With the main objective of reflecting the current situation of Nepali industries affected by the economic recession after Coronavirus and helping them to promote their business, the fair with the slogan of "Find Nepali, Choose Nepali and Let's use Nepali goods, be proud of being Nepali’ is being organised, he said. In order to highlight the current situation of the products of micro, cottage and small industries in the country, the exhibition includes the products of all types of industries, including micro, cottage and small industries operating in Nepal, he said.

In the fair, wood-stone-metal art, ceramics, decorative items made of bamboo, carpets, pashmina items and other woolen fabrics, products made from jute and other traditional processed natural fiber items, latest techniques, Nepali handmade paper, traditional handicraft items, organic honey, agriculture and forestry-based products, among others will be displayed.

Entrepreneurs from all provinces and districts of Nepal, appropriate technology users and SAARC countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh will participate in the exhibition.

President Singh said that there would be 250 stalls in the exhibition and it is expected that more than 200,000 observers will visit the fair. It is projected that there will be a financial turnover of more than Rs. 70 million.