Bhupinder Singh, CEO, Messe Muenchen India succeeds in getting the pulse of the industry and also getting inside the people’s head, explaining not just what he thought but why he thought it. Beyond this, he also succeeds in painting a portrait of electronics industry in India as far as the electronics trade shows are concerned. If you want proof of Mr. Singh’s enduring genius, visit the show and look around you sprawling products and technology from all around the world and power packed knowledge sharing conferences. ELE Times interviewed Bhupinder Singh, CEO, Messe Muenchen, to know as to what is new in this year show. Excerpt from the interview.
ELE Times: electronica India and productronica India have grown consistently over the past few years. How have you been able to continue this growth?
Bhupinder Singh: electronica India and productronica India are running in their 18th annual edition. Our mantra is our ‘Customer Centric’ approach as we have been working very closely with the industry to understand the market needs and customizing our program accordingly. We add new features each year to keep the excitement of our visitors high.
In 2014, we launched the ‘Buyer Seller Forum’, a customized matchmaking platform to connect the largest buyers of electronics with the best suppliers from across the world. Last year, we introduced ‘India PCB Tech’ in association with ELCINA and this year we are launching a dedicated conference for automotive electronics industry to keep the excitement high.
As electronica India and productronica trade fairs is deeply rooted with the core of Indian electronics industry, it acts like a ‘Gateway to Indian electronics industry’ for international technology suppliers. 86% of electronica India and 79% of productronica India exhibitors have expressed their satisfaction with the trade fairs. These affirmations highlight the confidence of our exhibitors. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, ELCINA and various leading industry associations support the trade fairs whole-heartedly, making electronica India and productronica India, the largest trade fairs in India on electronics industry.
ELE Times: What is significant about 2017 edition and which are the focus areas? How will visitors benefit from attending?
Bhupinder Singh: According to IBEF report, the electronics market of India is one of the largest in the world and is anticipated to reach US$ 400 billion in 2022 from US$ 69.6 billion in 2012. The market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.4 per cent during 2012-2020. India will also emerge as one of the leading manufacturer of automotive parts and components by 2020. All major automotive companies have their manufacturing in India which leads to high demand for innovative technology.
Quite evidently, the PCB sector will witness phenomenal growth and the electronics industry can learn trends and explore new technologies at the 2nd edition of ‘India PCB Tech’, which is a joint initiative of ELCINA and Messe Muenchen India. Another initiative to address the needs of the automotive electronics industry is ‘e-Automotive’, which will feature a one-day conference and innovation zone showcasing technologies for the automotive industry.
Spread over 20,000 sqm exhibition area and 8 halls, both trade fairs have seen year on year growth and emerged as the perfect meeting place for ESDM community. electronica India and productronica India are much more than just trade fairs, our visitors will benefit from our exhibits, our conferences and various networking programs held altogether at the same venue.
ELE Times: Indian government has been running the ‘Make in India’ campaign. How these trade fairs are contributing in this initiative?
Bhupinder Singh: Government of India has launched many favourable policies under the ‘Make in India’ campaign including Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (M-SIPS), Electronics Manufacturing Clusters Scheme (EMC), Skill Development Schemes etc. for the benefit of ESDM sector. According to National Policy on Electronics (NPE), an ecosystem for a globally competitive ESDM sector in the country is to be developed by attracting investment in excess of USD 100 Billion.
The Indian market is ‘open for business’ and the participation from international companies has increased. These companies are looking for collaboration opportunities with Indian companies for local manufacturing and to set up their shops in India. In this edition, exhibitors from 16 countries and 5 country pavilions like Germany, UK, Taiwan, China and Singapore are participating.
To support the ‘Make in India’ movement, we organized Invest India conference in the past edition, wherein, six states including Haryana, Rajasthan, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh participated and met potential investors from India and overseas.
This year, we are organizing ‘Advantage India’, a one-day conference for domestic and international companies looking for investments in India. The conference will also cover the market potential in different sectors and learn about the policies laid by the state governments who are participating in the trade fairs. Interested investors will also get a chance to interact with government officials at the B2G (Business to Government) Forum held concurrently with the conference.
ELE Times: Are there any important networking programs at the trade fairs as well?
Bhupinder Singh: We are continuing with our Buyer Seller Forum, which started in 2014 and is highly appreciated by the industry. In the past edition, over 1000 face-to-face meetings took place and business worth INR 450 crore was negotiated at this platform. Some of the leading companies who participated were Airbus Defence & Space, Honda Cars, Magneti Marelli Powertrain, NTL Electronics, Secure Meters, Havells India, Minda Sai, Philips India, Panasonic Automotive, Moser Baer to name a few.
We invite all stakeholders of electronics industry to join us at electronica India and productronica India trade fairs and benefit by attending our supporting programs and get a first-hand chance to explore new technologies.
