IMTEX, Tooltech & Digital Manufacturing 2023: A CURTAIN RAISER

January 11, 2023 6:21 pm

Addressing manufacturing needs through futuristic technologies with over 750+ exhibitors from 20+ countries shall display cutting-edge manufacturing technology solutions.
The much-awaited IMTE years. The sprawling halls of Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru, will once again be teeming with activities as representatives from various industry sectors meet machine tool manufacturers in the show. Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA) will organise its flagship international machine tool and manufacturing technology exhibition, ‘IMTEX 2023 & Tooltech 2023’ and Digital Manufacturing at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bangalore from January 19 to 25, 2023.
IMTEX occupies a premier and South East Asia’s largest machine tool and manufacturing technology exhibition. Since its beginning in 1969 in Mumbai, it has showcased every change and shift in metalworking technology to enable Indian manufacturers to innovate, reinvent, evolve and stay relevant for their customers.
For more than five decades, the exhibition has brought diverse groups and stakeholders on a common platform for knowledge sharing and transacting business. In its maiden avatar in 1969, IMTEX was organised in a 7,000 square metres premises in Vikhroli, Mumbai, with participation from 26 companies. IMTEX 2023 & Tooltech 2023 are expected to cover an exhibition space of more than 50,000 square metres with the involvement of over 1,000 exhibitors from more than 20 countries.
Tooltech will showcase the world of parts, accessories and systems for machine tools and manufacturing technology.
Digital Manufacturing: The future of manufacturing is about automation, of the digitalisation of workflows. Sensors, robots, software, and cobots – all connected seamlessly will be on display across aisles. Companies can procure technologies that go beyond Industry 4.0.
IMTEX, with a history of more than 50 years, ranks among the world’s top ten shows in manufacturing. In an exhibit space of 70,000 sq. mtr. representing 750+ exhibitors from 20+ countries, IMTEX 2023 will showcase technologies that are the most advanced solutions to challenges faced by industries and the supply chain.
Exhibitors worldwide will showcase new advances such as multi-tasking machining centres, tools, accessories, robots, cobots, manufacturing software, 3D printing solutions, evolving Industry 4.0 concepts, and many more. OEMs, suppliers, manufacturers, sourcing agents, investors, researchers, academia, and students, among others, will be at the show to explore their requirements.
India needs to brace itself against odds and recession in large economies. India is advancing toward Industry 4.0 as its National Manufacturing Policy, and PLI schemes intend to propel manufacturing’s GDP share to 25% by 2025. Here are the views of the spokesperson speaking on the 2022 Year-End insights and future outlook for 2023 on India’s manufacturing industry and export market.
Jamshyd N. Godrej Chairman-Exhibitions, IMTMA, “IMTEX is an expression of a new India and represents what its machine tool industry is capable of. Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA) has always tried to bring new industry segments to the show, and help technologies reach a wider section of industries. This enables self-development and helps industries to manufacture products that can be accepted globally”.
Ravi Raghavan President, IMTMA,” IMTEX 2023 is expected to be a highly focused show covering an exciting assemblage of new-age technologies that have assumed significance in the current manufacturing landscape. The display of advances in digital technology in the form of live machines will enthral visitors, feel Jibak Dasgupta, Director General & CEO, IMTMA. He adds, “IMTEX provides an ideal platform for a visitor to learn and implement automation quickly. Small and large firms can successfully build and enhance their brand at IMTEX.”
Rajiv Poddar Joint Managing Director, Balkrishna Industries Limited, ” With the world moving towards a technology-driven mobility solution & ecosystem, tire technology is also rapidly evolving. With the new year approaching, we can expect major investments toward research for new Tire development to withstand extreme conditions in mining operations. The future tires will need to provide reliability, better fuel economy, better performance, and durability at varied operating conditions. . In fact, as India plans to invest $1.4 trillion in several infrastructure projects by 2025 including projects related to ports, railways, roads, etc. we forecast rising demand for OTR tires. BKT is ready for future innovations in OTR machines of India with its mobility solutions”
Subhrakant Panda President, FICCI and MD, Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd, “The Indian economy has resilience enough to overcome short and sharp disruptions in the global supply chain as the government sits right keeping vigil to control the situation in case of an unwarranted situation. India is better prepared than it has ever been to deal with short-term turbulence without losing sight of the huge opportunity which is there. Speaking on the upcoming Union Budget, he added that Indian industry has great expectations that the Budget 2023 will be growth-oriented and build further on the foundation of government’s initiatives over the last eight years. India needs to attract a global supply chain and lower corporate tax for 15 percent for 5 years. The fuel may be reported but electronics import should not be at par or more than oil in accordance with the intended target of PLI schemes.”
Sangeet Kumar CEO and Co-Founder, Addverb Technologies, ” The robotics industry is witnessing a significant increase in the demand for intralogistics automation solutions across the globe. According to a report by Global Newswire, the warehouse automation market is expected to grow to $31.03 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 15.45%. Globally, businesses want to imbibe automation in the warehouses due to the challenging nature of work, labour shortage across western countries and the energy crisis in the European nations. Businesses are looking for energy-efficient and sustainable technological solutions which are cost-effective. Automation is providing customers with all these technologies in the form of robots”
Pankaj Abhyankar Senior Vice President and Business Head, Godrej Tooling, “Growing consumer awareness of environmental issues, and the availability of tax rebates and subsidies for purchasing EVs in the last year, has piqued consumer interest in the EV segment. The global automotive industry is undergoing a paradigm shift as it transitions to alternative, less energy-intensive options. The Government of India expects the automobile sector to attract US$ 8-10 billion in local and foreign investments by 2023. With the industry rapidly shifting gears towards the adoption of Electric Vehicles in India, it has necessitated the development of new engines, battery boxes, and high-precision sheet metal parts, which, in turn, require new dies. In line with this, Godrej Tooling has increased its investment by 10% YoY on R&D towards a portfolio of tools and dies with a special focus on the EV industry. We aim to further increase our focus on indigenous manufacturing to serve our EV clients in 2023. With increased mobility, demand for public and private transportation is projected to strengthen. Future market development in the coming year is expected to be fuelled by new trends such as vehicle electrification, particularly for three-wheelers and small passenger automobiles”
Vinnie Mehta Director General, ACMA, “Commenting on the performance of the auto component industry in India he said, “With vehicle sales and exports gaining traction, month-on-month month, the auto component industry demonstrated a growth of 34.8 percent scaling a turnover of Rs. 2.65 lakh crore (USD 33.8 billion) in the first half of FY 2022–
23. Steady growth was witnessed in all segments: supply to OEMs, exports, and the aftermarket. Exports grew by 8.6 percent to USD 10.1 billion (Rs. 79.03 lakh crore), while imports grew by 17.2 percent to USD 10.1 billion (Rs. 79.8 lakh crore). The aftermarket, estimated at Rs. 42,007 crore, also witnessed a growth of 8 percent. Component sales to OEMs in the domestic market grew by 46 percent to Rs. 2.23 lakh crore”
Xercsis Marker Executive Vice President & Business head, Godrej Lawkim Motors, “India refocused on its trade strategy in 2022 by implementing different programs and policies and leveraging strategies like China-plus-one. We are currently on the path to becoming a major global manufacturing hub with the ability to export items worth $1 trillion by 2030. India’s manufacturing sector’s growth is fueled by the creation of industrial clusters, the automatic routes allowing FDI up to 100%, and other factors. The primary markets of Godrej Lawkim Motors include the USA & Europe, and our motors & components are utilised in various commercial & industrial applications.”
“Given the country’s export-heavy economy, we expect our export revenue to treble to approx 94 crores by FY23–24 as consumers in the USA and Europe reduce their reliance on China. Moving from mechanical switches to electronic switches and from induction motors to Brushless DC motors with electronic controllers are two examples of how technology adoption is evolving. To keep up with these technological advancements, we have recently introduced E-switch technology into our general-purpose motors, making us the first in India to introduce and shift to E-switch technology. With the development in technology picking up across industries, and the ‘Make-In-India’ focus by both State-owned and Private Sector entities, Godrej Lawkim Motors sees tremendous opportunities for growth in the calibration services and is aiming for a 30% revenue growth by FY25.”
Sunjay Kapur, President ACMA and Chairman Sona Comstar, ” Elaborating on the mood of the industry and the outlook for the near- to mid-term future, he mentioned, “Going forward, I am optimistic that the current fiscal year will witness another good performance from the auto components sector. Further, with growth in consumption of EVs, we are witnessing fast transformation of the autocomponents sector Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India 2 to be an integral part of the EV manufacturing supply chain. The components industry is making steady investments as well as acquiring technology companies. For a medium-long term outlook, we need to be wary of the impending recession in Europe and the US as well. The supply chain issues, which are not fully behind us.”
Rohan Kanwar Gupta, Vice President & Sector Head – Corporate Ratings, ICRA Limited, “While the emergenceof the Omicron variant of the Coronavirus has reignited uncertainty, we are cautiously optimistic that the economic recovery in India will become more durable and broad-based in the coming year. Rising confidence should support a return of consumption to normalcy, boosting capacity utilisation and setting the stage for broad-based capacity expansion by the end of 2022. Moreover, the solid expansion in direct taxes will allow the government to prioritise growth-enhancing capital spending.”
“With a higher inflation target than other Central Banks, the MPC can justify prioritising growth for some more time. Nevertheless, the base case of gradually strengthening economic activity, with uncomfortably high domestic inflation, suggests that it is only a matter of time before the MPC starts to raise rates to prevent inflationary expectations from becoming unanchored. We continue to expect 50 bps of repo hikes in 2022. However, the commencement of policy normalisation with a change in the monetary policy stance to neutral may end up being deferred to April 2022 from February 2022.”
Prashant Sardeshmukh, Managing Director, MMC Hardmetal India Pvt. Ltd., ” Suppose the preceding year was the year of balancing and consolidation for the Indian economy. In that case, the New Year will be a year of exciting opportunities and steady growth for the manufacturing sector. The best thing is that we are ushering in the New Year with a marquee event like IMTEX, which is poised to boost the industry. The cutting tools market is projected to witness a great upswing, given the encouraging momentum gathered by the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. We are gearing up to navigate the swings and moods of the market on a global scale by introducing future-ready technology and cuttingedge solutions. We aim to grow across geographies to emerge as a prominent player in the manufacturing world.”
Ashok Arumugam Director, Amsak Cranes Pvt. Ltd., “Some people may have a more mixed view of the manufacturing sectors in India in 2023. They may recognise the country’s potential opportunities and challenges and need clarification on how these will play out in the coming years. At the same time, some people may have a favourable view of certain manufacturing sectors in India in 2023, such as those particularly well-positioned to take advantage of technological advances or those benefiting from increased domestic and international demand. Only some others may negatively view specific manufacturing sectors in India in 2023, such as those struggling to compete with cheaper imports or facing regulatory challenges.”
Philip J. Mani Managing Director, Schmalz India Pvt. Ltd., “India is experiencing continual growth in the manufacturing sector. It is expected that this sector achieves the kind of growth required for manufacturing on or before 2030 to serve the upcoming demand challenges that this sector may face in the coming future. Moreover, automation too will be playing a key role to propagate manufacturing. Hence, each and every manufacturer needs to focus on productivity for their growth.”
Vinod Aggarwal President SIAM, CEO & MD Volvo Eicher Commercial vehicles, ” The Indian automobile industry and SIAM have been proactive in supporting the government’s vision, leading to the adoption of E10 five months ahead of schedule. Stakeholders in the ethanol value chain have received continuous government support, enabling the transition to sustainable mobility. We are now aligned for rolling out E20 material-compliant vehicles from April 2023 and production of E20-tuned engine vehicles from April 2025, and the Indian automobile industry has developed products to enable this shift. Ethanol adoption, apart from leading to GHG emission reductions, will also help the country reduce its import dependence and thus save precious foreign exchange, which is aligned with SIAM’s vision of ‘Building the Nation Responsibly’.”