Equipment Rally

In its third edition, bC India offers an entire range of new and existing construction equipment to meet the requirements of industry players in a new location: Greater Noida. Date: December 15-18, 2014 Venue: India Expo Centre, Greater Noida Visit ASAPP Media at Stand No H3 J35 (Hall 3) Reports suggest that India´s construction sector will grow at 7-8 per cent each year over the next decade following the election of a new government. According to Wilfried Theissen, Managing Director, Putzmeister Concrete Machines Pvt Ltd, ´The market, which is currently +/-30 per cent below 2011, is set to grow by 10-15 per cent in 2015 and hopefully by a further 20 per cent in 2016-17.´ To tap this upsurge, the Bauma Conexpo Show, bC India 2014, has entered its third year in the country. Scheduled from December 15-18, 2014 at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida, the international trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines and construction vehicles has geared up for the big opening! The mega event is witnessing the presence of around 700 exhibitors and participants from over 25 countries. Spread across 120,000 sq m, the magnitude of bC India is evident and leading players from the sector are expected to make their presence felt. ´As we were moving steadily close to the opening day, there was an increase in trade inquiries on a daily basis,´ says Igor Palka, CEO, bC Expo India Pvt Ltd. ´Hence, we expect to see around 30,000 footfalls at the event.´ (To read Igor Palka´s full interview, turn to page 16) Theissen adds, ´Bauma is simply æthe trade fair´ for the construction industry in and outside the country. It is an exceptionally well-organised fair, and completely focused on the exhibitors and their clients. We are looking forward to welcome our customers to this show following the positive spirit for our industry created by the new government.´ What´s new? The USP of the show this year is its location: Greater Noida. As Palka says, ´No large-scale construction show has happened in North India so far. Being near the capital, where gigantic infrastructure projects are born, where the government decides on new large-scale projects and where leading domestic and international corporations have their headquarters, will result in a win-win situation for all our exhibitors and visitors.´ Apart from this, events and seminars are bring held alongside the expo. On December 15, the 6th Annual Equipment India Conference 2014 and 2nd Annual Equipment India Awards is being organised by ASAPP Media Information Group parallel to bC India (see box). Moreover, iCEMA is conducting its conference on December 16. Joint organiser BAI is also holding its Managing Committee Meeting on December 17. ´We have tried and requested our exhibitors to talk about safety drill procedures adopted by them. We feel such an initiative can help raise awareness about disasters and how to tackle them,´ adds Palka. The bC connect Products exhibited at bC India mainly comprise construction vehicles and earthmoving machines, formwork and scaffoldings, equipment related to mining, extraction and processing of raw materials, etc. Hence, several industry giants are exhibiting at the event. ´bC India has allowed the industry, and particularly Putzmeister, to showcase its potential and possibilities to future buyers, decision-makers and the public at large from India and all over the world,´ says Theissen. ´It is a unique opportunity for exhibitors and customers to meet and exchange, to promote and explain new developments, to consolidate and strengthen the brand image.´ Another player, exhibiting at the event, Anders Grundströmer, Managing Director, Scania Commercial Vehicle India and Senior Vice President, Scania Group, adds, ´Bauma Conexpo is a globally renowned exhibition. As we have some superior offerings in the off-road segment here in India and are launching several new products and services at this time, participating in the event is a good way to exhibit our products and meet and interact with important stakeholders.´ On display There are many exciting product launches at the event. ´We are always looking at how the market will evolve and, if required, we will further increase our product offer,´ shares Theissen. ´We have further improved our product and service portfolio, introducing the very popular stationary Esmart machines and new-generation, truck-mounted boom pumps. With less space available in metros, buildings have to gain in height. To do this in a sustainable and technically sound way, pumping concrete up is the only way. Putzmeister has developed a new range of powerful but compact Eco smart stationary pumps that can easily pump the required grade of concrete up to 300 m height.´ And Grundströmer tells us, ´We are launching and exhibiting two state-of-the-art vehicles, the market-leading heavy puller R 580 (6 + 2) with a V8 engine, which is the most powerful truck in India, and an all-new mining tipper (8 + 4) with a rock body updated with world-leading features for the toughest mining conditions. In addition to this, we are also displaying Scania Fleet Management Services, now with further developed features and, for the first time, available to all customers in India.´ Let the show begin! Show Daily A daily report of the trade show is available in the form of a newsletter - bC India Show Daily - that is being circulated free to all visitors and exhibitors. Published by CW, it includes news and reviews of all the happenings of the previous day, a preview of what to expect on each day and the most significant scheduled events. Igor Palka, CEO, bC Expo India Pvt Ltd, says, ´Exhibitors have the opportunity to present themselves in this publication and visitors gain better insight on what´s happening, when and where during the show.´ The 2nd Annual Equipment India Awards is India´s first ever awards event for the industry that aims to recognise key players and bring together top manufacturers, construction companies, CAS companies, dealers and financiers. Held on December 15, 2014, the best-selling products across over 15 categories of equipment are being awarded. Additionally, the 6th Equipment India Conference, held on the same day, is focussing on big-ticket business opportunities. The theme of the conference is ´new drive for construction and building equipment industry in India´. ´We have welcomed 40% Indian-headquartered and 60% foreign-headquartered companies.´ - Igor Palka, CEO, bC Expo India Pvt Ltd  Having completed two successful editions in Mumbai, Igor Palka, CEO, bC Expo India Pvt Ltd, shares details of the event and the challenges involved... Compared to the previous edition, what is the expected footfall at the expo this year? The first edition of bC India, conducted in 2011, witnessed 508 exhibitors on 88,000 sq m with about 25,000 visitors. The next edition saw an increase in the companies to 710 from 33 countries with over 28,000 visitors. This year, we hope to increase the footfall once again and welcome over 30,000 visitors. Introduce us to the product range that is displayed at the event? The product range is wide, including products related to construction sites like construction vehicles and earthmoving machines, formwork and scaffoldings or other site installations. In addition, equipment related to mining, extraction and processing of raw materials is also on display. Production of building materials is another segment and, last but not the least, the components and service suppliers. As an organiser, what challenges have you faced to set up the expo this year? What safety measures have been undertaken at the event site? A challenge that always persists is the market situation as an exhibition is always a mirror of the industry. Unfortunately, in the past two to three years, the economic situation in the country has not been conducive to the healthy growth of the infrastructure sector. Having said that, we are seeing a positive change in the market sentiment in the past couple of months. Hence, I am confident that this show is going to be a success. With regard to safety measures, we are following strict measures along with helmets provided on site as we are expecting heavy machinery movement during the set-up. Our appointed vendors have assured us that they will be wearing safety gear and vests in line with our safety regulations. What support does the government offer for organising an event of this nature? At present, we are in close association with the government in charge of the region around Greater Noida. Parties in the region have been supportive. In addition, the expo has received support not only from national associations like our co-organiser, the Builders´ Association of India (BAI), but from international partners, associations and media partners. Has there been an increase in international participation? We have similar international participation at bC India 2014 as the last edition. Looking at the ratio of our past events, we have welcomed 40 per cent Indian-headquartered companies and 60 per cent foreign-headquartered companies. We have observed a trend that more and more companies apply through their local offices here in India. Some first-time exhibitors include Ammann Apollo, Elgi, Layher, L&T, MHI-VST Diesel Engines, Spartan and Topcon Sokkia. How will huge international participation benefit the representatives of Indian companies? An event like bC India is always a great opportunity for national companies to present themselves as well as their latest innovations and products to a high-quality international audience. So, companies meet visitors, potential buyers and decision-makers with spending power from all over the world. How do you view the current scenario for the Indian construction equipment sector? We feel the market sentiments are right; the government is taking the right decisions for growth and development. We also feel that, gradually, the sector will face a turnaround in some ways. For instance, a report by Off-Highway Research on the construction machinery market has identified positive trends. For 2013, the forecast was for 7 per cent growth; for 2014, that has been raised to 9 per cent.