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Considering the proportion of the Indian population in the UAE and the connections expats have built across the country, it is 'very clear' that the community will be the "largest participant" of Expo 2020 Dubai, Indian ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor said on Wednesday.
Indians have contributed to the mega event 'in a big way', Kapoor said as he addressed a Press briefing, which was also attended by Indian Consul-General Dr Aman Puri and other dignitaries.
When asked whether Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Expo 2020, Kapoor said It is unlikely that Modi will miss the world fair.
The pavilion will be formally inaugurated by Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry.
On Wednesday, India unveiled its Dh250-million pavilion — one of the biggest at Expo — for the first time with a spectacular sound and light show.
The 600 kinetic blocks that form the facade of the pavilion lit up in quintessential colors and sounds of India at the sound and light show.
The country’s sporting talents, celebrated poets, ancient heritage sites, art forms, military might, wildlife — all vied for attention as the computer-programmed blocks shape-shifted in harmony, transforming the facade into a giant canvas.
Ambassador Kapoor said the Expo will give a “one-shot glimpse of India and the amazing opportunities it has with its cutting-edge technologies and the innovative nation it is wanting to be".
A walk-through of the 4,800sqm pavilion spread across four floors will take visitors through a journey through India, from its rich cultural heritage to its technological prowess.
The Indian pavilion is one of the largest at the Expo and features a kinetic façade made up of 600 individual colourful blocks. It is developed as a mosaic of rotating panels that depict different themes as they rotate on their axis. It represents the theme of ‘India on the move’ and is a unique amalgam of the rich heritage and technological advances of the nation.
The façade will create different moving patterns, with 75 stories narrated over 26 weeks to mark India’s 75 years of independence. In the evenings, the façade will host shows, complete with sounds, lights and projects.
The four-storey India pavilion will showcase India’s “cultural diversity, ancient treasures, achievements and cutting edge technology”, according to the video.
The pavilion overlooks a spinning wheel made of steel and red sandstone. The wheel, or chakra, adjacent to the pavilion sits atop a plaza where people can relax.
Expo to boost India-UAE trade
The ambassador said Expo 2020 will give a “huge fillip” to UAE-India trade which dipped from $60 billion to around $43 billion last year due to the pandemic.
India is the UAE’s third largest trading partner. The envoy said India’s exceptional fight against Covid-19 is evident from the “tremendous rebound” of its businesses.
“It is good news today that India and the UAE have started formal negotiations for what we call a 'comprehensive economic partnership agreement'. It is a very significant development,” said Kapoor highlighting the huge push India is giving to scale up its bilateral trade to $100 billion.
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