Bangalore to host IMTEX 2007

Chennai: IMTEX 2007, the largest exhibition of machine tools and manufacturing solutions in South andSouth East Asia is being held for the first time ever in South India and in Bangalore - the hub of the machine tool industry.

Organised by Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers' Association (IMTMA), IMTEX is scheduled from 18 January - 24 January at IMTMA's own exhibition facility - the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC). IMTMA is also holding as a concurrent fair, Tooltech 2007 - the international exhibition of cutting tools and tooling technology systems.

A B2C event featuring recent global trends in machine tools and manufacturing solutions, IMTEX 2007 and Tooltech 2007 seeks to reactivate the industry enthusiasm and reinforce the feel good factor already predominant within the industry.

Shailesh Sheth, media chairman, IMTMA, said, "IMTEX and Tooltech is the launch-pad of the machine tool industry's globalisation process and will be the show-window of India's world-class competitiveness in manufacturing technologies. The exhibition will display 'live' machine tools and manufacturing solutions from all the world's best known brands in this product segment."

Spread across 50,000 square metres, the exhibition features 1,163 exhibitions, including half from overseas representing 25 countries. Key highlight of the exhibition are six country group participation from China, Germany, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan and UK. Other major countries represented at IMTEX and Tooltech 2007 include Austria, Czech Republic, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Switzerland and United States of America

Besides, over 95 per cent of Indian machine tool industry is being represented at IMTEX 2007 and Tooltech 2007. The union minister for commerce and industry, Kamal Nath, will inaugurate IMTEX 2007 and Tooltech 2007.

IMTEX and Tooltech are being held amidst increasing machine tool globalisation and the huge potential of the Indian machine tool industry. According to IMTMA president C P Rangachar, "The domestic machine tool industry performed exceedingly well with a 40 per cent growth in the first half of 2006-07, and is expected to record an over 35 per cent growth for the fiscal year."

According to him the industry will register a 25-per cent growth in the next two years as well. It will truly mark the coming of age of this strategically important sector.