MUMBAI, 6 January, 2018 (GPN) : Kokan Bhumi Pratishthan is back with the 6th edition of Global Kokan Festival to be held at CIDCO Exhibition and Convention Center, Vashi, Navi Mumbai from 6th Jan 2018 – 10th Jan 2018.

The five-day long 6th Global Konkan festival, organised by the Kokan Bhumi Pratishthan at CIDCO Exhibition and Convention Center at Vashi in Navi Mumbai, will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today. Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu, will be the guest of honour.

Goa CM Chief Minister, Union Minister for Roads and Transport Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Heavy Industries Anant Geete, State Finance Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar and State Tourism Minister Jaykumar Rawal will be present at the event.

The festival co-organized by ‘Make in India’ and MTDC which will be open till January 10, 2018 is expected to attract over 3 lakh visitors, who would include industrialists, entrepreneurs and general public. The fest is supported by agriculture, fisheries, MPEDA, CIDCO, Maharashtra Maritime Board, MIDC and other state government departments.

Addressing the media, ‘Global Kokan & Kokan Bhumi Pratishthan’ Chief Organiser Sanjay Yadavrao said, “The idea behind organizing the festival is to promote Kokan tourism on global map, boost reverse migration and to start a mega youth entrepreneurship drive in the Konkan region.A guidance will be provided by experts from banks, government departments to the sons of the soil from Kokan and Mumbaikars who wish to develop their land in Kokan from a single platform.”

In coming days, the region is expected to witness many revolutionary changes such as four-laning of Mumbai-Goa Highway, twin tracking of Kokan Railway, water transport, JNPT, Panvel and Mopa (Goa) international airports, Mumbai-Mandwa Ro-Ro Boat service. The festival taking place at this juncture will give an impetus to the development of Konkan region.

As part of the festival, seminars including ‘Make in Kokan’, ‘Advantage Kokan’, ‘Blue Revolution’ and ‘Tourism Conference’ will be organised. They will provide a platform for self-employment projects in the areas of tourism, modern agriculture, processing, fisheries, forest herbs, port development etc. The ‘Advantage Kokan’, will showcase new schemes, infrastructure updates on ports, highway construction etc. ‘Blue revolution’ will elaborate on exploring the potential of 720km Kokan coastline and opportunities available to the entrepreneurs. A live demonstrations of ‘crab and basa’ farming will be organized by MPEDA on all days of the fest to promote fisheries as an industry. The ‘Tourism conference’ will throw light on business opportunities for promoting backwaters, home stays, tour guides, etc. and promote Maharashtra cuisine, art and culture.

Special discourses on organic farming, horticulture, wineries, food and fruits processing etc also will be conducted. Along with the seminars, a special talk by waterman of India, Dr. Rajendra Singh, a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner and Stockholm Water Prize winner on ‘Kokan Water Mission’ and rejuvenation work of four Rivers in Kokan namely Gandhari, Jagbudi, Arjuna and Janavali will also be held.

Also, everyday there will be cultural shows showcasing arts and crafts from Konkan. Foodies can also relish the Konkan delicacies at the venue at the Kokan food festival. Along with the cultural and food fest, the Spice Board is also organizing a buyer and seller meet at the event.

The “Advantage Kokan”, seminar will showcase new schemes, infrastructure updates on ports, highway construction, airport development etc. Special pavilions are dedicated at the fest for “Make in Kokan” and “Advantage Kokan” where the visitors will get all the information on industrial opportunities in Kokan to those entrepreneurs who wish to invest in industries or businesses in Kokan. Special discourses on Organic farming, Horticulture in Kokan region, wineries, food / fruits processing etc will be conducted. Apart from this, guidance will be provided from various sources such as experts, Banks, Government Departments and others to the sons of the soil from Kokan and Mumbaikars who wish to develop their land in Kokanfrom a single platform.”

The Seminar on ‘Blue revolution’ will elaborate on exploring the potential of 720km Kokan coastline and various opportunities for entrepreneurs. ‘Blue Revolution’ will also see live demonstrations of Crab Farming, Basa farming, etc organized by MPEDA and will be held on all the days of the fest to promote fisheries as an industry. The ‘Tourism conference’ will throw light on business opportunities for promoting backwaters, home stays, tour guides etc and promote Maharashtra Cuisine, Art and Culture and more.

Another highlight is an Exhibition of paintings and photographs by artists from Kokan who have made a mark in the sector and are recognized globally. A special Hall of fame about the success stories of industrial houses sprinkled by generations as well as new industrial houses created by ambitious Marathi youth will be a special presentation this year in the form of Maharashtra Gaurav Hall. Along with the seminars, a special talk by waterman of India, Dr. Rajendra Singh, a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner and Stockholm Water Prize Winner on Kokan Water Mission and rejuvenation work of four Rivers in Kokan namely Gandhari, Jagbudi, Arjuna and Janavali.

The event is supported by Government Departments such as MTDC, Agriculture, Fisheries, MPEDA, CIDCO, Maharashtra Maritime Board, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation and more.ENDS