'Make In India' packs a punch at Hannover Messe 2016

As a part of its ambition to integrate itself with the global manufacturing industry, India is participating in the Hannover Messe 2016 with participation of the country’s top firms in the private and public sector along with a high level official delegation, led by Girish Shankar, secretary in the department of Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises.

The ongoing international technology fair, which commenced on April 25, is scheduled till April 29. 

Among the participants, apex engineering export organisation, Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC) India is the lead agency. India had participated in the Hannover Messe last year as the ‘Partner Country’. Volkswagen's display of a made-in-India Vento, Daimler’s Make in India programme, Royal Enfield and 18 other states carried India’s torch at the international trade fair last year.

Having emerged as the fastest growing economy in the world, India is transforming its manufacturing industry with a clear objective to become an essential part of the global supply chain. It will now leverage the Hannover Messe once again to drive the ‘Make in India’ programme. 

According to Shankar, India has to participate in the development of a globalised manufacturing environment: “Make in India is a strategic initiative to reform the manufacturing industry in the country.” He added that the government is working on a strategy to be a preferred manufacturing destination by a series of initiatives like improving ease of doing business, liberalising foreign direct policy in most industries, including defence production. The country has recently announced new policy initiatives like pricing freedom for hydrocarbons found in deep waters. 

He said with strong domestic demand, India provides an excellent alternative for global industry with the Chinese economy slipping into a slowdown. 

To strengthen and deepen the connect with German technology majors, a new progamme ‘Industry 4.0’ has also been unveiled. It is a meeting of the real and virtual worlds in manufacturing and involves the full integration of manufacturing technologies and systems to make a 'smart factory'. The smart factory is a highly flexible manufacturing setup that is digitally interlinked with every aspect of the manufacturing ecosystem, from suppliers to customers. 

Speaking on the occasion, EEPC India chairman, TS Bhasin said the Indian engineering industry is taking several steps to move up the value chain and is now getting increasingly into areas like spacecraft components, aerospace, defence production, automobile and railways, among others. “There is a realisation that with prices of commodities like steel and iron ore remaining subdued and subject to cyclical fluctuations, Indian engineering has to invest in R&D and forge new tie-ups with global majors from countries such Germany. India attaches a great importance to Hannover Messe as a global platform, where India was the partner country last year.” 

India will also leverage its IT industry to transform manufacturing not only in India but also at the global scale with the new concepts such as smart factory, artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) which itself is projected to be US$ 15 billion (Rs 100,000 crore) for India by 2020.