IITF 2026 will be held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from November 13, but China and Russia will not participate in the 45th edition, according to information from the India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO). Eight foreign countries have so far received approval to take part in the international trade fair.
Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Thailand are among the participating countries. The other countries listed in the report are Türkiye, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Afghanistan and Ghana. The participation will include two BRICS member countries—Iran and the UAE—and one of the BRICS partner countries, Thailand.
The absence of China and Russia comes about a month after the two countries participated in the BRICS summit, where their engagement with India was described as warm. China had a limited presence at IITF 2025, represented by one company. Eleven countries participated in the previous edition, compared with eight confirmed participants for IITF 2026 so far.
The international participation is one part of a wider national exhibition planned at Bharat Mandapam. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Rajasthan will be partner states at the fair, while Jharkhand, Assam, West Bengal and Delhi have been designated focus states. A total of 30 states and Union territories have confirmed participation, one fewer than the 31 that took part last year.
The 2026 fair will be organised around the theme “Development and Heritage”. The exhibition is expected to present traditional Indian heritage alongside the country’s modern economic and industrial progress. A dedicated theme pavilion will be created for this purpose, while individual states and Union territories will also have separate theme pavilions.
The event’s format places Bharat Mandapam at the centre of a large temporary urban operation involving exhibitors, visitors, state delegations and international participants. The venue, located in central Delhi, will host the national and international displays over the course of the fair. The supplied report does not provide an estimate of expected footfall, transport arrangements or the number of exhibitors for the 2026 edition.
There is not expected to be an increase in entry fees this year, according to official sources cited in the report. During the first five days of IITF 2025, adult tickets cost Rs 500, while children’s tickets ranged from Rs 150 to Rs 200. On regular days, adult entry was priced at Rs 80 and children’s entry at Rs 40. Weekend and holiday tickets cost Rs 150 for adults and Rs 60 for children.
Last year’s package tickets were priced at Rs 1,800 for the first five days, Rs 800 for the remaining nine days and Rs 2,000 for all 14 days. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities were allowed free entry on presenting the required identity document. Final ticket rates and detailed visitor arrangements for IITF 2026 have not been specified in the supplied report.
