Expo 2020 Dubai: India Pavilion wins 'People’s Choice Award'; among top 3 for innovation

In a noteworthy honour, the India Pavilion has been recognised among the top 3 pavilions at the Expo 2020 Dubai for its exclusive design and innovation, under the ‘People’s Choice’ category by the Exhibitor Group. This is the first time in the history of the World Expo that India Pavilion has bagged such accolades. This comes as the 182-day-long festivities in the UAE came to an end on March 31, 2022.

India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai celebrated 75 years of India’s Independence and showcased the new and dynamic India with its never-ending opportunities. A star-studded international jury established by Exhibitors Insight Awards identified the ‘People Choice Awards’. Notably, India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai was named as 'One of the most iconic' Pavilions by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) in November 2021. 

'India Pavilion at Expo 2020 encapsulates India’s vibrant diversity'

Dr Aman Puri, Consulate General of India in Dubai and Deputy Commissioner General for India said at Expo 2020 Dubai, “We would like to thank the Exhibitor Group for this recognition. It is a testament to India’s magnificence which has been exhibited by the India Pavilion.

With the use of architecture, the Pavilion beautifully captures India’s rich cultural heritage and its technological prowess. We are also proud to be one of the most visited pavilions at the Expo as we recently touched the 1.5 million visitor mark. It has been a successful journey over the past 6 months, and we wish to continue strengthening India’s global presence.”

Dikshu Kukreja, Managing Principal, CP Kukreja Architects, who designed the India Pavilion said, “Every visitor takes back with them a vast array of experiences and memories, whether it is India’s culture, architectural legacy, forays into technology, or the country’s beautiful natural landscape. This uniqueness is what we wanted to showcase through our design for the India Pavilion, which transcends the boundaries of time and region and encapsulates India’s vibrant diversity.”

India Pavilion at Expo 2020 based on the theme of “Openness, Opportunity, Growth”

Travis Stanton, jury member of the award said, “The Expo 2020 Award winners and honourable mentions represent some of the world’s best examples of how design, technology, presentation, and storytelling come together to create immersive experiences and effectively communicate compelling messages.”

The India Pavilion was created on the theme of “Openness, Opportunity, Growth”, in line with Expo 2020 Dubai’s theme - “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”, to showcase a nation open to new learnings, new perspectives, innovations, and investment opportunities.

The state-of-the-art India Pavilion structure was dedicated to 11 primary themes, each having an exclusive zone, all under one gigantic roof, including climate and biodiversity, space, urban and rural development, global goals, health and wellness, water, and more.

India Pavilion used kinetic architecture to tell 75 stories

The magnificent four-storey Pavilion represented India as the fastest-growing nation in the world with the theme of ‘India on the move’.

Made up of 600 individual blocks, the facade of the India Pavilion uses kinetic architecture to tell 75 stories about the history, geography, and literature of the country with an engrossing stimulus of “constant change”. The interiors of the pavilion employed cutting-edge technologies to craft an interactive journey through India’s landscape and interconnect the nation’s social, cultural, and natural wealth. 

Upon attending the event in Dubai on March 28, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that approximately 17 lakh people have visited the Indian Pavilion at Dubai Expo 2020.