‘ATPO helping entrepreneurs with good market, networking opportunities’

ATPO chairman shares progress & road map 

The Assam Trade Promotion Organisation (ATPO), set up in 2009, has started promoting emerging trade opportunities in the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre with state-of-the-art facilities in Guwahati. The organisation leaves no stone unturned to promote local entrepreneurs at local, national and international levels.

Excerpts of the interview with the Chairman of ATPO, Sunil Deka (SD), where he talks about the organisation, its prospects, the challenges and future administrative plans.

BNE: Tell us about Assam Trade Promotion Organisation.
SD: The Assam Trade Promotion Organisation (ATPO) was started on February 19, 2009. The commercial activities started on May 11 in the same year. The Maniram Dewan Trade Centre was started so that local entrepreneurs get a market. For this ATPO was formed to uplift the commercial status of the state. Basically, it is a non-profit organization. Since 2009, we have organised many exhibitions. fairs witnessed the footfalls of thousands of customers. Some fairs included International Trade Fairs, Leo Expo which attracted lakhs of visitors. These events also witnessed business in crores. Since 2021 we are given the duty of bringing entrepreneurship avenues in this centre. As 2021 was a Covid period, from ATPO we had organised two fairs. One was in Nalbari Raax Mahotsav. More than 50 entrepreneurs to Nalbari free of cost so that they can display of their products. These entrepreneurs earned more than crores in this fair- More than 50 entrepreneurs were taken to Nalbari free of cost so that they can display their products. There entrepreneurs earned more than crores in this fair.
Since December last year we are organising an ATPO International Trade Fair. This will be organised every year. About 150-200 stalls took part in the event last year. We even invited the SCs and STs entrepreneurs with the help of the National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC). The 2022 fairs encouraged entrepreneurs a lot. Satisfied with last year’s performance, this year we are organising 6 more fairs across Assam.

BNE: What are the new projects that ATPO has in hand this year?
SD: We are organising six more fairs across Assam. These will be held in Assam. These places are Dibrugarh, Tezpur, Nalbari. Guwahati International Trade Fair, Silchar and Kokrajhar. More than 100 entrepreneurs will take part in these fairs. The Dibrugarh Fair will be organized from 28 September to 7th October. The entrepreneurs will be given a platform to display and sell their products. The entrepreneurs who will be invited by us and the entrepreneurs who are registered under the Udyam registration will be given free entry for participation. They will be given all the facilities. Last year, we realised that these fairs are very much essential for entrepreneurs. It is understood that they will need a market. ATPO tried to promote all this. I personally believe that these fairs will not only give a business profit but they will be able to get a network. Wherever these fairs are organised, they will get various customers. These customers will surely demand the same thing for sure. Thus, this will help the entrepreneurs to develop a good network. 
We have plans to exhibit our products at all the India levels as well as at the international level. In 2011, we took part in Greece International Trade Fair from ATPO. We took 11 women at the state government’s cost. They were able to earn huge revenue in that fair.

BNE: How ATPO is encouraging innovation and transformation in bringing these products to the market?
SD: Speaking about innovation, we can say the new products the entrepreneurs are producing we ensure that these products come to the market. Suppose an entrepreneur launches a new product, it is very difficult for them to find a market. We give them the platform for such products. Earlier, ATPO never used to do such things. We used to display our own products for organizing various fairs. Now, ATPO is taking the initiative to bring in entrepreneurs from all over. 
I am very happy to inform that this year Assam government allocated a sum of 2.7 crores. I express my gratitude to the Chief Minister of Assam Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma. With his efforts, we were successful in bringing entrepreneurs to the forefront. We are trying to give a market for small entrepreneurs in Assam.

BNE: How ATPO is encouraging youth to take part in these events?
SD: ATPO is a non-profitable organisation. During the international trade fair of 2023, many new start-ups came forward to take part. These were all youth-oriented start-ups. There was a massive sale of their products. Through these events, the youth of the state will get a platform for their products. ATPO will always support such initiatives.

BNE: What is the revenue story of ATPO?
SD: We mainly aim for the upliftment of entrepreneurs. We do not think about revenue. There are some advantages of Maniram Dewan Trade Centre. We have three AC halls of 35000 square feet. There is an open field at the back of the centre. There is a 400 and 100-seater auditorium. We are planning to start a 50-seater auditorium. There is a 20-seater hall which we are going to uplift. With the available infrastructure, we can earn some money. From the 35,000 square feet halls, per square feet we charge Re 1 only. From the 400-seater hall, we charge Rs 25,000 or Rs 35,000 per day. For government organizations, we charge Rs 15,000 only. ATPO is running itself through the revenue earned through such rents.

BNE: What challenges ATPO is facing in doing its work?
SD: We invite private institutions to display their products. The revenue we get from them runs the ATPO. Now, we took a new challenge. We like ITPO we started doing these fairs and expos. This is a very big challenge for us. During these expos, we have faced many ups and downs. We don’t have sufficient employees to run the work. In spite of that, we are trying to make the fairs successful, I believe that if these challenges can be overcome ATPO will be recognized as a big organisation like ITPO. Then, people from across the country and the world will be able to take part in these events.
Last year, in the international expo the High Commissioner from Bangladesh and Royal Consul General from Bhutan opened their workshop here. They brought their entrepreneurs to our place. We will try to create an atmosphere where products from Bangladesh and Bhutan come to India and products from India go to Bangladesh and Bhutan.

BNE: What new administrative plans ATPO has for the future?
SD: The new administrative plans include the initiative of Honourable Chief Minister of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma, to start a Unity Mall. The Prime Minister of the country Shri Narendra Modi made efforts to start Unity Mall across the country. In Assam, the Unity Mall will be constructed in the Maniram Dewan Trade Centre itself. This project will be of Rs 226 crore. Behind this centre, there will be a Unity Mall. In the Unity Mall, there will be products from each district that will be made available for the public for display and sale.

ALSO READ: ‘If masses are economically sound, the state will be economically sound’