The 16th Edition of Auto Expo 2023 – The Components Show marked the biennial exhibition’s return. Ashish Bhatia found the supplier exhibits a testimony to OEMs having capable partners to see through their zero-emissions strategy.
Pragati Maidan in Delhi was back to its glorious best after a three-year Covid-19-induced hiatus. The exhibition centre was back to halls full of automotive suppliers and aftermarket players as they showed up in full strength. The sentiment was upbeat, having registered a record turnover in FY22 and sustaining the growth momentum. As leading-tier suppliers occupied 60,000 sq. m. of the display area, they set aside masks and so the fears of a resurgence of Covid that plagued China, and was feared to impact the show. It didn’t and so it paved the way for a successful, return edition of the marquee, biennial expo. The call for attaining zero emissions with market-ready solutions was stronger than before. Nearly 800 plus exhibitors held the fort for over four days between January 12-15, 2023 and drew in a footfall of over 1.15 lakh visitors. The exhibition found a strong representation from seven international pavilions including from the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Poland and South Korea. It was a show of global technology and innovation and set the tone for localisation with India as the global manufacturing front.
The automotive component industry was anticipated to introduce a wide range of innovations. It did, and to a mind-numbing extent! From cutting-edge technologies in both the passenger vehicle and the commercial vehicle segments, suppliers and aftermarket players addressed several white spaces to emerge at the top of their game. The proof of concept stage in several instances was surpassed with adequate ease and replaced by market-ready business proposals that drew customer interest and business leads from several of the leading Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) who had decision-makers doing the rounds of the booths. This has been and continues to be the show of partnership of the Auto Expo, since its inception much to the delight of the organisers, Automotive Components Manufacturer Association of India (ACMA), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Accredited by the International Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d’Automobiles (OICA).
With a strong focus on zero-emissions technology supporting modular powertrains, reliant on Natural Gas (NG) and electrification, Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) and Hydrogen ICE, the exhibition had suppliers outlining their range of products to support a myriad of custom, customer requirements. It spanned Connected, Autonomous, Safe and Electric (CASE) and went beyond. The well-to-wheel approach for a circular economy and sustainable development was high priority. The product mix covered a lot of ground, from ground-up developments to plug-and-play options being showcased this year. The solutions deployed in developed and the advanced markets seemed to be on the cusp of finding a business case with potential for attaining Economies of Scale (EoS) at an unprecedented rate. The whole is greater than the sum of parts and there were no two ways that the suppliers partnering with OEMs at an early stage of development has led to an influx of superior and sophisticated products making their way into India. This in turn has resulted into potential for exports to global markets from the same assembly line that up until now fed the domestic market. The graduation of parts suppliers to technology solution providers, some visibly capable of offering a vehicle as a whole was there for all to see this year.
Along with the REA Pavilion, a focused pavilion was planned to showcase ACMA innovation, ACMA Safer Drive, Bearing, Garage Equipment, EV Components, and Start-ups. The Auto Expo – The Components show continued in its interactive vein with engaging forums as the highlight. Many held beyond the confines of the expo. Taking a cue from its annual calendar of events, the event this year, scaled up with a conference put in place together with a buyer-seller meet up and matchmaking activities to maximise the event from a commercial perspective given the B2B appeal.
Driven by Technovation, suppliers made a beeline to make a stronger case for India to serve as a global hub for innovation and cutting-edge technology. The event exhibited the most recent innovations in automotive components for cars, trucks, electric vehicles, bearings, garage equipment, and spare parts in many markets. The innovative and advanced technologies in the components sector, in both greener and cleaner energy-saving formats, also reflected at the Auto Expo 2023 – The Motor Show where the whole (in this case the vehicle) made good use of the strong aggregates made available by the components manufacturers. ACI
Also read, ACMA and Hero MotoCorp Collaborate for First-Ever EV Technology Expo.
