PM Narendra Modi takes Delhi metro to lay foundation stone of convention centre

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) in New Delhi Thursday. The facilities provided at the centre will be on a par with the best in the world in size and quality, offering setting for international and national events, meetings, conferences, exhibitions and trade shows, a Commerce Ministry statement said.

"It will rank among the top 10 in the world and the biggest indoor exhibition space in India," it said, adding the project is expected to generate over 5 lakh employment opportunities.

The project is planned over an area of 221.37 acre in Sector 25, Dwarka, at an estimated cost of Rs 25,703 crore. IICC will be an integrated complex with facilities like exhibition halls, convention centre, open exhibition spaces, mixed use commercial spaces like star hotels (5, 4 and 3 star), retail services and high-end offices.

Here are the highlights:

#4.15 pm: "It will be like a mini city within Delhi. In one single campus, there'll be convention hall, expo hall, meeting hall, hotels, market, offices&serveral other facilities," PM Modi at the India International Convention and Expo Centre (IICC) foundation stone laying event. 

#4.10 pm: "This project worth Rs.26,000 crore will emerge as centre of attitude and energy of 80 crore youth. It's not just a convention and expo centre but vibrant centre for domestic and international business," said PM Modi. 

#3.40 pm: PM Modi lays foundation stone of India International Convention and Expo Centre, Dwarka.

PM @narendramodi addresses gathering at the foundation ceremony for India International Convention Centre https://t.co/VJJCz1FCbA

— Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) September 20, 2018

#3.30 pm: PM Narendra Modi rides metro from Dhaula Kuan to Dwarka, enroute to the India International Convention & Expo Centre (IICC) foundation stone laying event. 

#WATCH PM Narendra Modi rides metro from Dhaula Kuan to Dwarka, enroute to the India International Convention & Expo Centre (IICC) foundation stone laying event. #Delhi pic.twitter.com/T4M6Z8uHFP

— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2018

 The construction will be in line with green building principles and Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) Platinum rating standards. The convention centre can accommodate 11,000 persons, 5 exhibition halls, 1-kilometre long foyer, multi-purpose arena with retractable roof. It will be developed in two phases.

Phase-I and II will be completed by December 2019 and December 2024, respectively. IICC complex will have a dedicated underground Metro station which will be an extension of the airport high speed metro corridor and is being constructed by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation. The project is being implemented by India International Convention and Exhibition Centre Ltd, a 100 per cent government-owned company set up by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).