One reason, of course, for the hullabaloo is that Delhiites are going pretty much shopping crazy, and the India International Trade Fair (IITF) is a great way for them to check out good deals or at least know what to expect in the coming months.

This year, the crowds will be there again at Pragati Maidan to take a peek at the 5,200 enterprises that will set up shop. These also include over 70 companies from 14 countries.

Pragati Maidan will also have a new look this time, with two new fully air-conditioned halls -- 12 and 13 -- having been set up on an area of 9,000 square metre.

Also, remember the lake in Pragati Maidan? The bad news is it has been shortened. The good news is that the reclaimed land has been used to build two pathways, with benches along the way for the shop-till-you-literally-drop types.

``This will create more space for movement. The earlier layout was too cramped,'' explains Yogesh Chandra, chairman and managing director of Pragati Maidan.

After the IITF is over, Pragati Maidan will shed one major landmark. The 30-year-old Hall No 1 will be demolished to give way for a new trade centre, reveals Chandra. The ground floor of the pavilion will be home to an exhibition centre, while the first floor will be converted into a state-of-the-art National Trade Centre, complete with modern communication facilities for conducting e-commerce.

For the first time, this year's IITF will see a foreign product catalogue display, with over 2,000 catalogues of almost all major import items that could interest Indian businesses.

And in what is an obvious concession to the growing health-consciousness sweeping through India, IITF will see another first -- a special section dedicated to sports goods and fitness equipment. The Indian Sports and Fitness Fair in Hall 18 is being organised by the Ministry of Commerce and the Sports Goods Export Promotion Council.