Hyderabad: Popularly known as Numaish, the 84th edition of the All India Industrial Exhibition (AIIE) is set to open its gates on Friday, following a two-day delay due to the state mourning for former prime minister Manmohan Singh.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will inaugurate the event at 5 pm. Numaish 2025 will run until February 15.
“We are considering extending the dates by a couple of days, but a decision on that will be made later,” said Surender Reddy, Secretary of the exhibition society.
Traders from across the country have been busy setting up their stalls at the exhibition grounds over the past week. While the delay provided some vendors extra time to prepare, many were still opening their stalls for display on Thursday.
So, what’s new this year?
“We’ve introduced online ticketing with QR codes to make entry quicker and hassle-free. It’s simple. Visitors just scan the code, select their tickets, and pay through any UPI app or even cards,” explained Reddy. Ticket prices are ₹50 per person for visitors above five years of age.
The convener also shared that BSNL has provided optical fibre connections and dedicated mobile towers to resolve last year’s network issues.
“This will ensure smooth UPI payments and uninterrupted mobile data access for visitors,” he assured.
Also new is the probable speed windmill ride in the gaming zone, which is yet to arrive in town. Further, Nilofer Café will also have their stall up for the first time and will be serving its famed bun maska, alongside the usual Masqati.
“Nilofer is a new addition this year. Otherwise, things remain more or less the same,” Reddy added.
Over 25 lakh visitors are expected this year. Security measures have also been heightened at the grounds, which will be monitored by drones. CCTV cameras and metal detectors will be at all entrances, apart from clearly marked emergency exits too.
On Thursday, many stalls were seen shrouded in cloth as their owners were adding finishing touches to the displays. Only a few vendors were ready to serve passersby with a sneak peek into the variety of products right from Kashmiri shawls to Rajasthani handicrafts and kitchenware from Uttar Pradesh.
On weekends and holidays the exhibition will be open from 4 pm to 11 pm, however weekday timings will remain until 10.30 pm. Special arrangements have been made for public transport and the Hyderabad Metro Rail will be running additional trains from nearby stations and TSRTC will be adding more bus services to cater to the surge of visitors.
