Exciting action ahead as fair moves to Bengaluru for first time
Busworld is back in India for its seventh edition and for the first time, the country’s largest B2B bus and coach exhibition will be held in Bengaluru, one of the most developed bus markets in India. From November 10 to 12, Hall 3 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) will host around 70 brands from the bus and coach sector including Volvo, Daimler, MG Automotive and SML Isuzu who would be displaying their latest product offerings at Busworld India. This is the first time Busworld India is being held in an even year with the previous versions held in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015.
“This will be the seventh edition of Busworld India and it will also be the best we have had until now not only in terms of the number of exhibitors but also since we have Mercedes (Daimler) participating for the first time here in addition to the presence of Volvo, MG, SML Isuzu and others”, says Ms. Mieke Glorieux, Director, Busworld. The three-day show promises to be a stellar event especially since several international brands are now keen to enter the Indian market, leveraging the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.
The exhibition will provide companies with a level-playing field for trade opportunities, offering them a chance to connect with existing as well as potential clients directly. It presents a sterling platform for bus and coach manufacturers, component suppliers, technology providers and market leaders to showcase their latest products, technology, services and solutions.
Busworld’s Indian partner is Inter Ads who are pioneers in bringing international exhibition brands to India. Speaking about the event, Mr. Rajan Sharma, MD, Inter Ads Exhibitions Pvt. Ltd. says: “Busworld India is the only exhibition in India exclusively organized for bus and coach manufacturers. The exhibition has been showing a consistent growth over the past years and its size has increased from 5,700 sq. mt. in the last edition to 7,500 sq. mt. this year, which is tremendous for such an event.”
This year, Busworld has joined hands with the Association of State Road Transport Undertakings (ASRTU) – the apex body that brings together all State Road Transport Undertakings on a common platform – and the Bus Operators Confederation of India (BOCI), a recently-formed entity for bus operators in the country.
Busworld Academy and ASRTU in cooperation with the International Road Transport Union (IRU) will be organizing a congress titled ‘Bus and coach – A smart transportation system for India’ to explore current challenges as well as potential opportunities to enable a framework for efficient, comfortable and safe buses in India. The two-day congress will be held in conjunction with the exhibition.
Sharing his views on the Indian bus market and its growth potential, Mr. Didier Ramoudt, President, Busworld International, says: “India is definitely one of the most important and fast-growing bus markets globally. The market could grow faster if there is proper enforcement of regulations and if we get clarity on which direction the authorities want the industry to go in terms of emission technology. We see for example, in China it is definitely electric, in Russia they seem to support gas-based fuels and in the rest of Europe we have a combination of electric, gas and hybrid. We need similar directions to be able to improve the standard of public transportation in India. It should be looked upon with a clear vision and, say by 2030, the standards should be set for a robust public transportation system in India. Busworld is ready and fully-committed to support this vision.”
Adding his remarks on the future of the Indian bus sector and of Busworld India, Mr. Rajan Sharma, says: “The Government has declared many new forward-looking policies and there is a complete game change in the market right now. The tourism industry is growing and there are new investments in building highways, smart cities, roads and urban development, etc. The Government is encouraging foreign investments in the automobile sector and allows 100 per cent FDI under the automatic route. Many international brands are entering the Indian market under the Government’s ‘Make-in-India’ initiative. Keeping these factors in mind, we expect the bus sector to grow well in the coming years and expect more industry giants and international players to participate in Busworld India in future.”
Globally, Busworld was held for the first time in 1971 in the Flemish town of Kortrijk in Belgium. After 44 successful years, Busworld has established itself as one of the most recognized international exhibitions in the world exclusively for the bus and coach industry. Apart from the Indian edition, Busworld is being organized in Belgium, China, Turkey, Russia and South America.