Anand Mahindra floored by Bharat Mandapam, says earlier exhibition venue was source of embarrassment; Ricky Kej calls it 'world class'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the newly-constructed International Exhibition-cum-Convention Centre (IECC) complex Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Wednesday.

Developed at a cost of about Rs 2,700 crore, the havan-puja and inauguration ceremonies were attended by actor Aamir Khan, Union Ministers Piyush Goyal and Rajnath Singh, and several other dignitaries in the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) complex.

The visuals of the new and improved exhibition centre have gone viral on social media.


Billionaire businessman Anand Mahindra took to social media to share his views on the state-of-the-art facility. He said that the new complex has got him excited to attend conferences with his head held high.

Sharing how the old complex was a "source of embarrassment," the Chairman of Mahindra Group said that the Pragati Maidan building had poor infrastructure to conduct international conferences and exhibitions.

"I remember my many visits throughout my career to the old Pragati Maidan complex. It was only used to highlight how far behind we were in terms of international conference & exhibition infrastructure. It was a source of embarrassment. This new convention centre comes at precisely the right time: when the world of commerce is beating a path to India’s doors. I look forward to attending conferences at the new complex with my head held high…," he wrote in his tweet.


Mahindra's post got more than one million views and numerous comments.

Three-time Grammy Award-winning music composer Ricky Kej replied to Mahindra's tweet and called the new facility "truly world-class." He said he can't wait to see more awesomeness in the new Bharat Mandapam.

Ranjan Dhar, Chief Marketing Officer of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel and co-Chair (Iron and Steel) at ASSOCHAM and FICCI, also dropped a comment on Mahindra's post. He said that he hopes the next auto expo to take place at the new complex.

Uday Teki, the founder of AI For Rural and Assemble Teams, also said that the new complex was setting higher standards.

TrustScore founder Shweta Sharma said that India needs the best infrastructure when showcasing something to the entire world. "This looks like better than anything available in the world," she wrote.

With a campus area of approximately 123 acres, the IECC complex has been developed as India’s largest MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) destination. The newly-developed complex comprises multiple facilities including the convention centre, exhibition halls, amphitheatres etc.

The architectural design of the Convention Centre building is inspired by Indian traditions. The shape of the building is derived from the Shankha (conch shell), and different walls and facades of the Convention Centre depict several elements of India's traditional art and culture including ‘Surya Shakti’ highlighting India’s efforts in harnessing solar energy, ‘Zero to ISRO’, celebrating our achievements in space, Pancha Mahabhuta signifying the building blocks of universal foundation - Aakash (Sky), Vayu (Air), Agni (Fire), Jal (Water), Prithvi (Earth), among others. Also, various paintings and Tribal art forms from different regions of the country adorn the Convention Centre, said the release.

Other facilities available in the Convention Centre include a 5G-enabled fully Wi-Fi-covered campus, 10G Intranet connectivity, an interpreter room equipped with cutting-edge technology to support 16 different languages, advanced AV systems with huge-sized video walls, building management system ensuring optimal functionality and energy efficiency, light management system with dimming and occupancy sensors, state-of-the-art DCN (Data Communication Network) system, integrated surveillance system and energy-efficient centralized air conditioning system, the release added.