Greater Noida: India's flagship automobile show Auto Expo opened to the public on Friday drawing warm response from automobile enthusiasts, who heaped praises on the new venue for better space and well organised pavilions.
As crowds started trickling in, soon after gates were thrown open to the public in the afternoon, there were scenes of people trying to reach various stalls and get themselves photographed with their favourite cars and bikes.
According to the organisers, the first day open to the public registered more than 60,000 visitors and over 35,000 tickets were sold through the day.
"This is my second visit to the Auto Expo. This one is definitely better than the previous one held at the Pragati Maidan. The venue is spacious and there is less congestion. Overall it is turning out to be a better experience," Mayur Vihar resident Karan Bhambri said.
The arrangement of shuttle service from metro station at Botanical Garden in Noida has been very helpful, he added. Echoing similar sentiments, first-time visitor Tanpreet Singh, a law student, said there is lot of excitement due to the companies showcasing new models as well as the presence of popular Bollywood stars.
"I met John Abraham today, listened to Jai Ho musical and also saw exciting bikes. It can't get better than this," Singh said.
The distance of India Expo Mart from the Capital seemed to bother some enthusiasts though.
"This place is so far. It is very difficult to reach here. It took me two hours to reach this place as there was so much traffic," said Nitin Sharma, a resident of Greater Kailash in South Delhi.
There was lot of crowding at Pragati Maidan, but the venue being at central location, it was easy to reach in time, he added.
Entry for general public opened only today as the first two days of the expo, which began on February 5, were reserved for the media. Unlike in the past, the 12th edition of Auto Expo has been split into two parts due to space constraints, with the motor show being held at Greater Noida and auto components exhibition at Pragati Maidan during February 5-11.
Ticket prices have been kept at Rs 200 and Rs 500 for the expo.
The week-long event is expected to help in reviving the demand at a time when the Indian automobile sector is going through a prolonged slump.
Annual car sales in India declined for the first time in 11 years in 2013, posting a 9.59 per cent dip, as the auto industry reeled under a prolonged demand slump due to the economic slowdown. Auto industry is hoping that the biannual event would help in bringing some excitement into the market.
(With inputs from PTI)
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