The fifth edition of the international trade fair for construction machinery, mining machines and construction vehicles resonated the bullish mood of equipment buyers in the country, the North Indian market in particular, thanks to market expansion out of transport and infrastructure initiatives lately.
This year’s show was indeed the largest ever by bauma CONEXPO India, which opened its doors to the booming Indian construction industry last month at HUDA Ground in Gurgaon. Manufacturers of equipment and related components from different parts of the country and the globe presented their latest technological innovations to a wide base of visitors, including construction equipment entrepreneurs and end users, rental companies, fleets and service providers, to name a few. The expo was open for four days, recording over 700 exhibitors from 26 countries and 39,173 participants, up by over 20 per cent than the previous edition.
“Together with our strong partner iCEMA, we have prepared an excellent platform for the industry to present their products to the market. The partnership was crucial for our success and allowed us to align even more closely with the Indian construction machinery industry’s needs.
– Mr. Bhupinder Singh, CEO, bC Expo India
The CEO of bC Expo India, Mr. Bhupinder Singh, declared the 2018 edition a grand success. “As the largest-ever bauma CONEXPO India, it has become the right place to close deals and learn more about the tremendous opportunities that India has to offer in the construction industry”. The trade fair offered far-reaching supporting program with this very purpose in mind, he added, while pointing out the newly-introduced Buyer Seller Forum in this edition. The initiative proved to be a success and brought together technology providers and buyers in 3,023 meetings.
The expo was organised in association with iCEMA (Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association). Noted its President, Mr. Arvind Garg: “bauma CONEXPO INDIA is a good exhibition and an excellent platform for connecting with our valued customers, especially those in the North. It has been a great opportunity for all of us, to work closely with our customers, and to come here and showcase the products and the solutions that we have to offer”.
As a part of industry events, the Builders Association of India (BAI) used the trade fair as a networking platform for its members, while the Construction Equipment Rental Association (CERA) conducted an industry event titled ‘Leasing Construction Equipment – a Vital Need for a Growing India’. In addition, UBS Forums held a professional conference on ‘Transportation Infrastructure’ at the fair with its key focus on roads, railways and urban transportation, while also discussing on the impact of the Government’s infrastructure initiatives, sustainable transportation in India, and digitalization of public transportation.
“iCEMA for the first time has partnered with bauma CONEXPO INDIA. All our members, 70 of us, have participated in bauma CONEXPO INDIA in indoor or outdoor exhibition spaces.
– Mr. Arvind Garg, President, iCEMA
Almost all leading OEMs in the construction industry, including ACE, Case, Caterpillar, Doosan Bobcat, JCB, Kobelco, L&T, Liugong, PERI, Putzmeister, Sany, Schwing Stetter, Volvo, Wirtgen and Zoomlion, among others, displayed their products at the fair. The German firm Kaeser Kompressoren SE and the Indian manufacturer Tata Hitachi attended bC Expo India for the first time. Visitors got a taste of technological innovations and capabilities of machines live in action at the venue.
With the projected sales of construction equipment, including earthmoving, road construction, and material handling in the first half of 2018, estimated to have increased by 33 per cent as against the corresponding period in 2017, the surge in demand for products is quite apparent. Improved market sentiments and higher replacement rate for equipment are helping the industry to progress at a rapid pace. Although the upcoming 2019 general election season and a mild liquidity crisis that is unfolding in the economy may dampen the market a bit in the upcoming period, the FY 2018 is likely to record a guaranteed growth of at least 27 per cent.
And that’s not all. Yet another megatrend that is transforming the Indian CE sector is the digitalization of manufacturing processes and products, with the prime focus on operation efficiency and higher productivity. The advanced equipment and high-capacity products showcased at bauma CONEXPO INDIA 2018 are standing testimony to this emerging trend. No doubt, the domestic market is still cost-conscious and will continue to remain so, but, considering the kind of technological improvisations and value additions being made in construction machinery, it is hard to deny the industry’s progress in this regard on par with the global standards.