New Delhi [India], August 13 (ANI): The India Trade Festival is emerging as an international platform for small traders, industries and startups to access global markets, with ambassadors from 45 countries visiting the event, ITPO Chairman Jawed Ashraf said on August 12.

Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the event, Ashraf said the festival is bringing small businesses and startups from across the country onto a single platform and allowing them to showcase and sell their products and services to both Indian and international visitors.

'This is not just a national stage; it is also an international stage,' Ashraf said, adding that the participation of ambassadors and overseas visitors makes the event an important platform for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) sector.

He said the festival can help turn the government's broader goals of self-reliance, developed India, 'vocal for local', 'local to global' and 'made in India, made for the world' into opportunities for businesses.

The ITPO chairman further said the festival has given priority to businesses and participants from rural areas, youth, women, farmers and people with disabilities, providing them an opportunity to reach a larger market.

He said the role of such platforms is becoming more important as the global economy faces increased turmoil, tensions and competition between countries.

'If you look at it from the perspective of resilience for our future, from the perspective of self-reliance, or you look at it from the perspective of India's strategic autonomy, which is very important for independent thinking,' Ashraf said.

He said wider market access for smaller businesses could support the country's broader economic goals by helping them sell their knowledge, services and products at scale.

Ashraf said the international participation at the festival could also help Indian businesses build connections beyond the domestic market, as overseas visitors and representatives from different countries engage with the participating enterprises.

The event, he said, therefore provides a platform for Indian small businesses to move from serving the domestic market towards exploring international opportunities, while contributing to the wider objective of building a more resilient and self-reliant economy. (ANI)