Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Saturday inaugurated the four-day International Kite Festival, which has drawn 143 participants from 47 countries. Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said Gujarat has a 65 per cent share of the country's kite market, with exports to countries like the US, UK, and Canada.
Standing Committee Chairman Jaimin Thakar said, "In our country, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, took initiatives to uplift women and guide them to achieve great heights. He brought Gujarat, along with its women, to international recognition."
The 'International Kite Festival-2025' is being organised at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad from January 11 to January 14. Apart from Ahmedabad, the festival has also been organised at the Statue of Unity (Ekta Nagar), Rajkot and Vadodara on January 12 and Surat, Shivrajpur, and Dhordo on January 13.
Municipal Commissioner Tushar Sumera, says, "Today, the International Kite Festival is being celebrated in Rajkot. People from various states of India have come here to participate..."
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State Tourism Minister Mulu Bera said this year, 143 international kite flyers from 47 countries and 52 kite flyers from 11 states in India are participating in the festival. Patel said as the then chief minister of Gujarat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced modern elements to the festival by integrating it with tourism.