Thaindian News

Bangalore, May 26 (IANS) Karnataka plans to cash in on scores of international conferences being held across the globe by building a convention centre that can seat 6,000 people and boast of 20,000 sq mt exhibition area.

“The International Convention Centre will be built near the new Bangalore International Airport on a 35-acre plot and the cabinet Thursday sanctioned Rs.250 crore for it,” Law minister S. Suresh Kumar told reporters here.

The aim is to promote Bangalore, the nation’s tech hub housing both domestic and foreign IT majors, giant BPOs and many back-office centres, as an attractive destination for huge international meets and exhibitions, Suresh Kumar said.

Besides the main 6,000-seater convention hall, the centre, about 40 km away from the city, will have 20 small conference halls to accommodate 50 to 200 people, he said.

Bangalore will be competing with neighbour Hyderabad, capital of Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat, he indicated.

Hyderabad has been hosting a number of international conferences and exhibitions as it has an international convention centre and Gujarat has also recently built one, Suresh Kumar said.

Bangalore already has one international exhibition centre, near Peenya Industrial estate, about 20 km from the city centre.

The centre has 40,000 sq mt covered air-conditioned exhibition space, one of 20,000 sq mt and two of 10,000 sq mt each, besides 5,600 sq mt conference hall with several auditoriums of different dimensions and 7,500 sq mt food court.