Links between Vietnam and Toopen Biz Avenue up

Lucknow: The India-Vietnam Business Forume-commerce session and case session innovations and startups organized by AKTU were among the key sessions held on the second day of the Uttar Pradesh International Trade Fair (UPITS) ongoing at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida.
“During these sessions, a commitment was made to strengthen the UP-Vietnam partnership to facilitate the entry of products from Uttar Pradesh into South Asian and ASEAN markets. At the same time, the session on e-commerce, innovation and startups presented insights on the role of UP in the evolving digital ecosystem both in the country and globally,” an official spokesperson said on Thursday. This initiative is expected to facilitate the introduction of Uttar Pradesh products to these regions.
“On Thursday, the second day, over 40,000 guests attended the event. The fair was also attended by over 18,000 buyers and 40,000 visitors,” he added.
MSME Cabinet Minister Rakesh Sachan, Electronics and Information Technology Minister Sunil Kumar Sharma, Meerut Commissioner Shilvi Kumari, MSME Principal Secretary Alok Kumar along with representatives of global corporates participated in various sessions. The first sector discussion session was held under UPITS 2024 on Thursday focused on the India-Vietnam strategic partnership with special emphasis on the engagement of Uttar Pradesh. The session organized by Vietnam as a partner country was attended by the Vietnamese delegation, including Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Thanh Hai.
Sachan highlighted the ancient cultural ties between India and Vietnam that make them natural partners. He also invited investors, especially from the tourism and hospitality sectors, to explore investment opportunities in Uttar Pradesh, which has become an important spiritual center in India.
The second session focused on the e-commerce sector and included insights from major companies such as global e-commerce leader Amazon, top-tier fintech platform PingPong and BigCommerce, known for its collaborations with retailers. These industry giants shared invaluable insights and practical strategies with attendees.
Sachan emphasized the government’s commitment to empowering small and medium-sized enterprises through digital transformation, supporting innovation and increasing market access through e-commerce platforms. Three parallel sessions were organized for entrepreneurs, emerging industries, start-ups and aspiring business owners through various knowledge sessions.
The session on “Innovation and Start-up” was hosted by Abdul Kalam Technical University (AKTU). This session shared information on initiatives to promote excellence at AKTU. Vice-Chancellor Professor JP Pandey expressed his views on ‘Journey from Academic Excellence to Entrepreneurship’.
Maheep Singh, Director, AKTU Innovation Center and Vandana Sharma, Manager, discussed how the center is empowering entrepreneurs and start-ups in Uttar Pradesh.