Delhi is a city where people attend events more to be seen than to see. Since we can expect major traffic jams for everything in Delhi now,, you need to be "seen" arriving, and Auto Expo seems to be evolving no differently! One of the most important thing about successive Auto Expos, therefore, has been, "how did you get there? "There are many ways of coming to the fair, which shall be yours?

Politicians off all shapes, sizes and hues grab rides from obliging Trade Fair Authority protocol officials, and strut around in battery cars. If you're a really big politician, the Chairman would drive you around.

Babudom with their babalog and babylog arrive in white Ambassadors with red lights on top, and force their way amidst the teeming crowds. Very often the babalog and babylog also try to cadge the free food and gifts.

Uniformed and other similar uninformed classes manage to park bang inside the Traffic Police area next to Gate No. 2 of the Pragati Maidan. The uninformed pay tow charges.

Puppiedom arrive in huge shiny cars and then go back double the distance to park. On their return they receive huge dusty cars with free scratches.

Smart alecks arrive on two-wheelers which they then park on "parking pavements". Pedestrians then walk on the road and cause traffic jams.

Sensible people would come by bus, but the authorities divert the buses by other routes to relieve congestion. Next day the sensible people then come in cars and increase congestion.

The railways don't know about the Auto Expo and thus have not arranged trains so far. Their empty railway station can be seen.

Participants and exhibitors arrive from the same hotel in different taxies and in the evening share auto rickshaws to return.

Motoring journalists come for lunch. Free lunch.

We, we take you there riding your mouse. Be there.

SHOW TIME
Auto Expo 2000, scheduled for the 12th through 18th of January 2000 at Pragati Maidan in Delhi, is well under way towards living up to its reputation and claim of being the largest automotive show in all of Asia. Spread over a covered area of 65,000 square metres, it has attracted over 1050 companies into taking part, so far, with more late entrants registering every day. A visit to the Camp Office at Pragati Maidan revealed that the same efficient team, under the control of Amitabh Khosla of CII, are back at work almost round the clock.

Amitabh Khosla, incidentally, is something of an example of the true spirit behind the Auto Expos. This correspondent has seen him evolve along with every Auto Expo from the first one onwards, and the favourite photograph as well as memory one has of him is him walking along, 3 walkie talkies and 2 cellphones, whilst carrying on another 3 conversations simultaneously receiving some VVIP or the other. Unflappable, it seems he does not sleep during the run-up to the Fair and while it is on, he invents another 24 hours into each day for himself. He is now, incidentally, CII's manin Singapore.

This gung-ho round - the - clock spirit, incidentally, is what seems to carry each Auto Expo to heights unseen at other trade fairs in India. It is not just the 27 automobile manufacturers, the launch of about 20 new cars and trucks plus many more 2-wheelers, or the over 3 dozen new vehicles on preview. Every Auto Expo has something new over the last one. This time is no different, and here is a very brief curtain raiser, with cybersteering.com first off the block, as always . . .

An internet cafe, which comes on line on the 7th of January 2000 with 10 terminals exclusively for exhibitors. Cybersteering will be there, you bet!

The first day, 12th of January 2000, will be regulated very strictly only for the pre-registered business visitors and the media.

Auto Expo "Park and Ride" facilities shall be available to visitors from Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Indira Gandhi Stadium to and from Pragati Maidan which should ease some of the horrible traffic jams caused. Likewise, local trains will run and stop at the Pragati Maidan station for the duration of the fair.

A special focus on auto-component exporting exhibitors is planned.

The info-tech industry, finally, enters the Auto-Expo. The insurance industry, however, still ignores it!

A special for the small scale industry, called Auto Enterprise 2000, runs simultaneously for 180 exhibitors over 4000 square metres space.

Both Maruti Udyog Ltd. (Hamshadhwani Theatre) and Ford India Ltd., (Lal Chowk) plan to hold a series of special events for the duration of the fair. Get in touch with them NOW as these are likely to be advance sell-outs . . .

For more details or to get in touch with the organisers, visit their site at http://www.ciionline.org/events/autoexpo

Or feel free to write to us at cybersteering . . . we plan the most exhaustive pictorial coverage. Everyday. Like nobody ever did before.