The 81st edition of the All India Industrial Exhibition, popularly known as Numaish, reopened on Friday to few visitors and fewer shops.
After the Omicron variant reared its head, the authorities were forced to temporarily close the exhibition on January 6 in compliance with government restrictions.
On Friday, a vast majority of the approximately 1,500 shops were being set up. Several workers were engaged in setting up wood and cloth structures for vendors to move in and begin business, even as retro Bollywood songs blared over the speakers across its sprawling grounds. A handful of stall selling clothes, and dry fruits were open for business. Early in the evening, visitors started to saunter in, but it appeared to be a trickle.
“We have been coming here for the last 40 years. There is no doubt that we have suffered losses after the exhibition was postponed. We had taken flights to come here while our goods were sent by other means of transport,” said a dry fruit seller from Kashmir standing alone behind the counter at Dilshad Khan Dry Fruits. “Some from Kashmir have not returned, or perhaps will come here later. There is nobody to blame. Omicron has hit people across the world,” he said.
Several stalls on either side were empty, awaiting a return of vendors. Others had electricians fixing wiring, and carpenters hammering nails into plywood boards into them.
“We have to see what will happen. This is just the first day. I am hopeful that the number of visitors will increase in a couple of days,” said another vendor who was busy setting up his stall.
On the other hand, Exhibition Society officials remained optimistic. Exhibition Society secretary Aditya Margam claimed that about 80% of vendors had returned and the rest were on their way. When asked if there were any concessions vendors were being given, Mr. Margam said, “We are holding stalls for them. We had refunded the money after the expo was postponed. The same stalls they had paid for are being held for them. Others are coming and are willing to pay for them, but we are giving the same stalls to those who have returned.”
