The Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) doesn't just come to promote trade, it also promotes Indian beauty and glamour. Manpreet Brar-runner-up at the Miss Universe contest last year, walked down the ramp at the Regal Banquet Hall at Hotel Yak and Yeti on 19 September on the occasion of a trade show in Kathmandu. The main attractions were designs by Ritu Kumar, designer for all Indian Miss Universes/
Worlds (and also Princess Diana). J.J. Valya, another well-known name in Indian haute couture, presented his fusion of East and West with a whole sequence dedicated to white silks. Designers Monisha Bajaj and Niki Mahajan were represented as well. The fashion show was part of a six-day Indian Trade Exhibition that opened at the Bhrikuti Mandap grounds on 20 September. Over 90 Indian manufacturers displayed products on communication, information and electronic technology at the six-day fair. At a seminar organised alongside the exhibition, Nepali and Indian officials and businesses discussed ways to remove the bottlenecks in bilateral trade. The meeting was organised by the Nepal-India Chambers of Commerce and Industry (NICCI) and India's Trade Promotion Organisation.