NEW DELHI, Aug 2: From personalised gifts and luxury lifestyle products to eco-friendly stationery and premium writing instruments, the 31st “Gifts World Expo” and the inaugural edition of “Paperworld Delhi” reflected the changing face of India’s gifting and stationery markets.
The three-day event, which ended on Saturday at Bharat Mandapam, was spread across six exhibition halls and brought together more than 850 exhibitors, over 6,000 brands and around 30,000 products spanning gifting, stationery, paper and office supplies.
Though final attendance figures are yet to be compiled, organisers said footfalls at this year’s edition were nearly “35 per cent higher” than the previous edition.
“India’s gifting industry continues to be one of the most vibrant and dynamic markets driven by evolving consumer preferences, festive traditions, weddings, and more, driving demand for premium and personalised products.
“At this edition, we witnessed exceptional participation from leading domestic and international brands, including the introduction of the first-ever ‘China Pavilion’, reflecting the potential of the gifting and stationery market,” said Himani Gulati, director of MEX Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd — the company behind the exhibition.
Among the highlights this year was the launch of “Paperworld Delhi”, which made its debut in the national capital after five successful editions in Mumbai, creating a dedicated platform for the stationery, paper and office supplies industry alongside one of India’s largest gifting exhibitions.
“Inside Gifts World already there was a level of stationery companies. But this way we were able to bring dedicated stationery brands and clearly identify the visitor base in Delhi. Delhi was the market where there was a gap, and we were able to offer our customers a new buying platform.
“The response from exhibitors has been amazing. All the leading brands were here. The last three days have been super successful with very focused buyers. The timing has been right, the market is right, and it works well because it is co-located with ‘Gifts World Expo’,” said Raj Manek, executive director and board member, Messe Frankfurt Asia Holdings Ltd.
The Gifts World Expo reflected changing trends in the gifting business, with personalised corporate gifts, premium lifestyle products, sustainable stationery and workplace essentials emerging as key attractions.
Dedicated zones such as the ‘Gifts World Trend Zone’, ‘Sustainability & Innovation Hub’ and ‘Start-up & Innovation Hub’ highlighted innovation and evolving consumer preferences.
For exhibitors, the event translated into tangible business opportunities.
Tarvinder Pal, founder of perfume brand NISARA, said the company had steadily expanded its presence at the exhibition over the past three years and credited the platform for helping build brand recognition.
“We started with a 6×6 stall three years ago. Last year we had a 30-square-metre stall and this year we expanded to 40 square metres. People recognise NISARA much more now, and ‘Gifts World Expo’ has played a role in that,” he said.
“We received a very large order from one of the biggest companies in India and are meeting them on Monday to close the deal. It is one of the biggest deals we have secured so far,” said Pal, adding that the brand this year also used the platform to launch new products and gauge buyer preferences. (PTI)
