After missing the exhibition stage last year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), electronica India and productronica India will resume actual exhibits in December. The annual event will highlight the gains of the country’s electronics system design and manufacturing (ESDM) industry, which has been resilient despite the pandemic.

Just like most trade events and exhibitions in the electronics industry, electronica India and productronica India organizer Messe Muenchen India has cancelled the 2020 edition. Organizers was already looking forward to holding the event last September but called off after the dreaded variant of COVID-19 took toll in many countries including India.

Thus, this year’s trade event will take place from December 16 to 18 at Bengaluru International Exhibition Centre (BIEC). Bangalore stands at the center of India’s electronics industry for many years. The event alternates between the two Indian economic hubs of Delhi and Bangalore every September.

Bearing Fruits for India ESDM

The Indian government has been aggressive in revitalizing India’s ESDM industry in recent years. Particularly, it has implemented various programs to empower the industry and prod innovation. In addition, it also espoused entrepreneurship to raise the country as a global digital power.

Hence, the promotion of electronics manufacturing has been a key component of the government’s Digital India, Make in India, and Startup India initiatives under the umbrella of its National Policy on Electronics. A recent data culled from the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITY) of India showed government policies and initiatives have been bearing fruit for India’s ESDM. As such, this led to significant growth in electronics manufacturing. From US$29 billion dollars in 2014, the country’s electronics production surged to US$70 billion in 2019 for a compound annual growth rate of 25 percent. This pushed India’s share in global electronics manufacturing from 1.3 percent in 2012 to 3 percent in 2018.

Certainly, mobile handset production has been a major growth driver for India’s ESDM. From only two mobile handset manufacturing in 2014, they stood to over 200 in 2019. They have produced about 290 million handsets with an aggregate value of US$30 billion. These figures were up compared to 60 million handsets produced in 2014, which has an aggregate value of US$3 billion. 

Because of this, India has emerged as the second largest manufacturer of mobile handsets in the world.

Aside from mobile handsets, production of LCD/LED TVs and other LED products are among the country’s growth drivers. Other emerging verticals include automotive electronics, medical electronics, industrial electronics, strategic electronics, and telecommunication products.

Sustains Momentum

With these achievements, India aims to sustain the momentum, and this is what electronica India and productronica India aspires to achieve. Because of this, Bhupinder Singh, Chief Executive Officer of Messe Muenchen India, said Bangalore is an important destination for the electronics industry.

“Our customers and business partners support our plan to organize the shows in 2021 in this region. The twin trade fairs will accelerate growth and enable the aggregate electronic industry to gain momentum after the current economic slump.”

Meanwhile, Falk Senger, Managing Director Messe München GmbH, said the needs of customers take always center stage. “In 2020, we were not able to realize the physical event in Bengaluru. However, we are confident that we will come back stronger in 2021. (This gives) the electronics community a new chance to connect, network, and drive business.”

electronica India and productronica India will highlight the entire value chain in electronics production, from technologies and components to software and services. Among the exhibition sectors that will be seen in the December event include semiconductors and display manufacturing; photovoltaics production and technologies for batteries and electrical energy storage; micronano production; printed circuit board and circuit carrier manufacturing; component mount technology as well as soldering; hybrid component manufacturing; test and measurement; electronic manufacturing services (EMS); among others.

The 2019 edition of the said trade event, the last before the pandemic struck the world, gathered 674 exhibitors from 18 countries and showcased their latest technologies, products, and services across 33,000sq.m of exhibition floor. Visitors that flocked the event totaled 26,310, an increase of 35 percent compared to the show’s 2018 edition in Delhi.