New Delhi, Nov 13 (IANS): Over 6,000 exhibitors from more than 25 countries including India will showcase their products and services at the 33rd edition of the India International Trade Fair (IITF) beginning Thursday.

Japan is the partner country for the event to be held Nov 14-27 at Pragati Maidan in the capital.

IITF is the largest integrated trade fair with business-to-business and business-to-consumer components. It has emerged as the largest consumer goods fair in the Indian sub-continent and is one of the biggest trade fairs in the world both in terms of exhibitors and visitor participation.

The annual event is organised by the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), a trade promotion agency under the ministry of commerce and industry.

According to data released by the ITPO, over 15 lakh people visited the fair last year.

This year, Bihar is the partner state and Odisha is the focus state, while South Africa is the focus country.

President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the fair Thursday.

There will be around 260 foreign exhibitors this year. The participant countries include Japan, Thailand, Pakistan, Canada, Italy and the UAE.

“As a partnering nation to the Olympics in 2020, we hope to present before India Japan as a great destination for tourism, arts, culture, and design,” Prashant Godghate, secretary general, Japan-India Industry Promotion Association, said.

A Japan Wave Pavilion at IITF will introduce India to the best of Japan.

Apart from business-to-business sessions, other attractions of the fair would be to meet animated characters like Shin-chan, Doraemon and Ninja Hattori.

There will be live stage performances by Japanese artistes. Tea corners, tatami house, blending Japanese green tea Ocha are being prepared to add flavour to the fair.

During the 14-day fair, the first five days would be reserved for business and trade visitors. It will be open for the general public from November 19 to 27.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation will sell entry tickets for business as well as the general working days.

Business day tickets will be available from Thursday at 27 metro stations including Rithala, Dilshad Garden, Jahangirpuri, HUDA City Centre, Noida City Centre, Anand Vihar, Central Secretariat, Inderlok, Kashmere Gate, Rajiv Chowk, Barakhamba, Saket, MG Road, Noida Sec-15, Vaishali, Rajouri Garden, Janakpuri West, Dwarka Mor, Dwarka Sec-9, Mundka, Peeragarhi, Punjabi Bagh, Badarpur, Govindpuri, Lajpat Nagar and Dhaula Kuan.

General public days tickets will be available at all metro stations from Nov 19-27.