exhibition · · 4 min read
India Pavilion at Gulfood 2027: Stand Planning Guide for Indian Exporters
How Indian food exporters plan a stand in the India Pavilion at Gulfood 2027: what to ask your pavilion organiser, venue rules, costs and timeline.
Gulfood 2027 runs from 15 to 19 March 2027 across two venues: Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) and Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City. India returns as the show's Official Partner Country for the second year in a row, after APEDA confirmed India's participation in September 2026. This guide is for Indian food and beverage exporters who will exhibit in or alongside the India Pavilion and need to plan their stand.
For show dates, sectors and the full planning timeline, see our Gulfood Dubai page. This guide covers only what is different for India Pavilion exhibitors.
Three ways Indian exporters exhibit at Gulfood
Route | How it works | What you control |
|---|---|---|
Inside the India Pavilion, built by the organiser | You book a stall through APEDA or your commodity board or export council, and their appointed agency builds it. | Your graphics and product display, within the pavilion design. |
Inside the India Pavilion, built by your own vendor | You book the stall the same way, but appoint your own stand builder to design and build it. | The stall design, counters, storage and branding, within the pavilion and venue rules. |
Your own space-only stand | You book raw floor space directly with the Gulfood organiser and appoint your own stand builder. | The full design, structure and height, subject to venue approval. |
In the Gulfood 2026 tender, APEDA planned its pavilion around stalls of about 9 sqm each, with larger areas for commodity boards. Stall sizes, costs and deadlines for 2027 are set by APEDA and each council, so confirm them in the 2027 circular before you design anything.
What to check with your pavilion organiser first
Pavilion rules change from year to year. Before you brief a designer, ask your organising body for these five things in writing:
The exact stall size, the number of open sides and the hall and venue (DWTC or Dubai Exhibition Centre).
What is included: walls, fascia, lighting, counter, shelves, storage and power.
Which parts of the stall you may brand, and whether the common fascia and colours must stay.
The approval process and deadline if you use your own stand builder instead of the organiser's agency.
The deadlines for graphics, design approval and exhibitor badges.
Venue rules for space-only stands
These points come from the last DWTC exhibitor manual published for Gulfood. Treat them as a planning baseline and check the Gulfood 2027 manual when it is released, because limits differ by hall and Dubai Exhibition Centre has its own rules.
Maximum stand height is 6 m in most main DWTC halls and 4 m in the concourses.
Double-decker stands need a minimum plot of 36 sqm and organiser approval.
Every space-only design needs scaled drawings approved by the venue before any work starts.
Structures of 4 m or higher need a structural review.
Stand contractors must lodge an undertaking and a performance bond before build-up.
What a food stand needs to work
Chaman Lal Setia at Gulfood 2026: product display at the aisle, meeting area inside.
A sampling counter at the aisle, so buyers can taste without entering the stand.
Lockable storage for stock and samples. On a 9 sqm stall, this is usually built into the counter or the back wall.
A small meeting corner for buyer discussions, away from the sampling crowd.
Product shelving with lighting, with your export packs at eye level.
Power for a fridge or freezer if your products need it. Order this early, as extra power is charged separately.
Live cooking, open flames and refrigeration need venue approval, so tell your stand builder about them at the briefing stage.
What a stand costs
Custom stands we build cost AED 1,200 to AED 3,500 per sqm (about USD 330 to 950), including design, fabrication, graphics, installation and dismantling.
Stand size | Typical cost |
|---|---|
9 sqm | AED 10,800 to 31,500 |
18 sqm | AED 21,600 to 63,000 |
36 sqm | AED 43,200 to 126,000 |
Floor space, power, internet and venue services are paid separately to the organiser or the venue.
Timeline for a March show
November to December: confirm your stall or plot and send your brief.
December to January: 3D design and revisions.
January to February: pavilion and venue approvals, final graphics.
February: fabrication in our Dubai factory.
Second week of March: build-up on site. You arrive to a finished stand.
Our work at Gulfood
Goldiee at Gulfood 2026, built by Chronicle Exhibits.
4700BC at Gulfood 2026.
Chronicle Exhibits built 26 stands at Gulfood 2026, many of them inside the India Pavilion for brands such as Bikaji, Goldiee and HyFun. We design in Dubai, build in our own UAE factory and install with our own team. See the India Pavilion stands we built.
Questions Indian exhibitors ask
Can I use my own stand builder inside the India Pavilion?
Yes. Exhibitors can have the stall built through APEDA's appointed agency, or appoint their own vendor to build it. If you use your own builder, confirm the design approval process and deadline with your organising body first.
When should I book a stand builder for Gulfood 2027?
By December 2026. Design, approvals and fabrication together take 8 to 12 weeks, and the show opens on 15 March 2027.
Do I need to be in Dubai during the build?
No. We share the 3D design and factory photos for approval, then install the stand before you arrive.
Which venue will my stand be in?
Gulfood 2027 uses both DWTC and Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City. Tell us your hall and stand number, and we plan the build to that venue's rules.
Send us your stall size and hall number for a free design and quote
