Delhi Shopping Festival to be held from January 28 to February 26 next year: Kejriwal

Delhi will host India's largest shopping festival from January 28 to February 26 next year, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced on Wednesday and invited people from all over the country to visit the national capital for ''unparalleled'' fun and shopping during the event.

Kejriwal asked people not to delay their bookings and said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government is in talks with hotels and airlines to provide special packages for the visitors attending the festival, which will also showcase the city's rich heritage, culture and cuisine as well as throw open immense business and employment opportunities.

''It will be the biggest shopping festival of India and we will make it the biggest in the world in the coming years. Delhi will be decked up as a bride and there will be heavy discounts on products,'' he said during an online briefing.

Under its Rozgar Budget this year, the Kejriwal government had announced to organise the ''Delhi Shopping Festival'' and a wholesale shopping festival with an outlay of Rs 250 crore.

The ''Delhi Shopping Festival'' will have exhibitions on spirituality, wellness, health and gaming, and several entertainment programmes, the chief minister informed. Artistes from all over the world will come to the festival that will have 200 concerts and entertainment events over the 30 days, he said.

''There will be a special opening and closing ceremony and 200 concerts will be organised to entertain the visitors. Special food walks will be organised that will see the participation of international restaurants as well as restaurants from all over the country since Delhi is known for its food,'' Kejriwal said.

The festival will have offers for every section of the society, including elderly people, youngsters, children, rich, poor and the middle class, he added.

All markets, shops and malls of the national capital will get a facelift and every product will be available at unmatched discounts with something for everyone to enjoy.

Special food walks featuring cuisines from all parts of the country, including Marathi, south Indian, Gujarati and Bengali dishes, will be organised, with every famous hotel and restaurant of Delhi and other places in the country having its offerings, the chief minister said.

The ''Delhi Shopping Festival'' will give a massive boost to the city's economy, providing the traders and businessmen a big opportunity to scale up their businesses, and thousands of jobs will be created, he said.

The people of Delhi, corporates, retailers, traders and the government will be brought together to work as partners in organising the festival, Kejriwal said.

The festival will mark Delhi's standing at the international level. Delhiites should gear up to host the festival and people from different parts of the country should start booking their tickets immediately so as not to miss out on the big-ticket event, he said.

''We have been planning for this grand festival for some time. The planning has been completed and now is the time to implement the same. The countdown has begun and we will invite people from the entire country and the world to it,'' Kejriwal said.

The festival will be a unique opportunity to buy quality products, reflecting the spirit of Delhi. The visitors will also experience the culture and tradition of Delhi and have time to experience the warmth and hospitality of the people here, the chief minister said.

This will be a huge opportunity for the businessmen to expand their businesses by increasing their revenue. This will be a great chance to present Delhi at the international level, Kejriwal said.