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NT Bureau
Chennai, Jan 13:

        It's for the first time an exposition of machine tools and manufacturing solutions is being held in South India. The week-long expo starting from 18 January will be held at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC). And the mega event is being organised by Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers' Association (IMTMA).

        A B2C event featuring recent global trends in machine tools and manufacturing solutions, IMTEX 2007 and Tooltech 2007 seeks to reactivate the industry enthusiasm and reinforce the feel good factor already predominant within the industry.

        Shailesh Sheth, media chairman - IMTMA, said, 'IMTEX and Tooltech is the launch-pad of the machine tool industry's globalisation process and will be the show-window of India's world-class competitiveness in manufacturing technologies. The exhibition will display live machine tools and manufacturing solutions from all the world's best known brands in this product segment.'

        Spread across 50,000 square metres, the exhibition features 1,163 exhibitions, including half from overseas representing 25 countries. Key highlight of the exhibition are six country group participation from China, Germany, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan and UK. Other major countries represented at IMTEX and Tooltech 2007 include Austria, Czech Republic, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Switzerland and USA.

        Besides, over 95 per cent of Indian machine tool industry is being represented at IMTEX 2007 and Tooltech 2007— making it the most preferred platform unanimously across the industry. IMTEX 2007 and Tooltech 2007 is set to have a grand opening in Bangalore with its inauguration by Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath along with key dignitaries from the Government of Karnataka.

        IMTEX and Tooltech are being held amidst increasing machine tool globalisation and the huge potential of the Indian machine tool industry. According to C P Rangachar, president of IMTMA, 'the domestic machine tool industry performed exceedingly well with a 40 per cent growth in the first half of 2006-07, and is expected to record an over 35 per cent growth for the fiscal year.'

        Rangachar further asserted, 'the industry will register a 25 per cent growth in the next two years as well. It will truly mark the coming of age of this strategically important sector.'

        Shailesh Sheth said, 'this IMTEX 2007 is set to break other records as well. The total value of exhibits at IMTEX 2007 is a record Rs 300 crore. Besides, we estimate confirmed orders worth Rs 600 crore and business enquiries worth Rs 5,000 crore to be generated out of this IMTEX.'

        He added, all of this translates to increased visitor interest, which is also expected to be phenomenal.

        Key events at IMTEX 2007 include the International Machine Tool Forum on 20 January 2007, which will have a high-level delegation from Germany led by Thomas Jurk, Minister for Economic Affairs and Labour, State of Saxony, Germany among others.

        There will also be other high-level international delegations from Czech Republic, Korea and Switzerland. In addition, IMTEX 2007 will receive high-level domestic delegations from the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA), Indian Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers Association (IEEMA), Indian Ordnance Factories, Indian Railways, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), Textile Machinery Manufacturers Association (TMMA), Tractor Manufacturers Association (TMA) among others.

        The other facet of the exhibition will be its concurrent seminars on automation in metalworking, new generation cutting tools and optimum work holding and fixturing on machine tools. To facilitate and help both exhibitors and visitors, a special online and offline helpdesk has been set up and registrations made easier by making it online. There will be information desks at Bangalore airport and railway station besides regular free shuttles to the exhibition center from the city center, majestic, airport and leading hotels.

        It may be noted that the expo is held once in three years, IMTEX 2007 is amongst the five largest international shows, globally. In its 38th year, IMTEX has grown over the years into a sought after global event for the entire industry. Tooltech 2007 has a comprehensive display of metalworking machine tools, cutting tools, tooling systems, machine tool accessories, metrology and CAD/CAM.

        Founded 60 years ago, Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers' Association (IMTMA) is the apex body of machine tool industry in the country with a membership of around 400 companies from both, the public and private sectors. The association has over the years transformed itself to looking beyond, to focus on issues of productivity, quality, technology, new product development, design, customer satisfaction, etc. for enhancing competitiveness of the industry in both domestic and overseas markets. IMTMA plays a key role in the growth and development of this industry and it is the reference point for the industry.