Visitors at Dhanbad auto expo on Sunday. (Gautam Dey)

Dhanbad, Feb. 14: More than three dozen auto component and vehicle manufacturers from across the country set up camp at the Railway Officer’s Club today to display a wide range of products.

The occasion was the Dhanbad Auto Expo 2010, organised for the first time by the Dhanbad Motor Dealers Association (DMDA) with the aim of attracting auto component manufacturers to the district.

Companies including Suzuki, Skoda, Hyundai and Tata Motors put up their vehicles on display at the venue. Two wheelers of Hero Honda and Mahindra and Mahindra were also on show. The centre of attraction, however, was the award winning All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) created by mechanical engineering students of ISM.

Vice president of Dhanbad Motor Dealers Association, S.S. Mehta said 34 stalls displaying a wide range of auto products had been put up.

Mehta said the expo would help project Dhanbad as a millennium city.

More than 1000 mechanics were also invited to impart training and information about spare parts. Gifts were distributed among the invitees every hour through lucky draws.

Displaying power tools and lawn and garden equipment, area manager of the power tools division of Bosch Limited, Dibyendu Mitra, said such events should be organised for at least two or three days to allow more number of visitors to access the products on display.

However, Mehta said the fair could not be organised for more than a day this time due to funds constraints. He said it would be organised on a larger scale next year.

Earlier, Dhanbad deputy commissioner Ajay Kumar Singh, while inaugurating the event as chief guest, lauded the efforts of the organisers and stressed on the need for holding the event regularly.

Senior divisional Commercial manager (Sr DCM) of Dhanbad division of East Central Railway, Samir Kumar, was also present at the function as special guest.