The India Carpet Expo, organised by the Carpet Export Promotion Council (CEPC), is the single most efficient week a new rug importer can spend: hundreds of Indian manufacturers, every construction and price point, under one roof. Editions are held in the carpet belt and in Delhi. Here is how to work it as a first-time visitor.
Before You Go
Register as a buyer with CEPC in advance — international buyers receive assistance with entry and sometimes hospitality. Study the exhibitor list and shortlist ten to fifteen companies whose product matches your niche, with a bias toward manufacturers over trading houses. Book meetings; the best exhibitors' calendars fill.
Working the Floor
- Day one: sweep. Walk everything fast, note stands that stop you, collect cards and photograph (with permission) pieces that fit your range.
- Day two: sit down. Return to your shortlist for real conversations — constructions, MOQs, sampling, audit status, export experience in your market.
- Ask the sorting question early: "Do you weave this yourselves, and can I visit the factory?" The answers divide the hall neatly.
After the Show
The expo is where relationships start, not where orders should close. Follow up within a week, request samples from your top three, and — if your schedule allows — extend the trip to visit shortlisted factories. The carpet belt is close to the belt-based editions of the fair, and a stand is a promise while a factory is a fact.
Deepak Carpets exhibits and hosts buyers in Bhadohi around the show. Tell us which edition you plan to attend and we will book a meeting and a factory visit in one itinerary.