The Auto Expo is set to return to the national capital in 2025, after a decade.
India’s flagship biennial motor show will be organized next year under the Bharat Mobility umbrella in New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, 10 years after the exhibition was moved to Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, in 2014.
The government is mulling enhancing the scope of the show to include more elements of ‘modern mobility’ from the transportat sector – including railways and motorways – in future editions of the show, beyond 2025, two people aware of the discussions told Mint on condition of anonymity.
A ticketed event attracting retail footfall
Under the Bharat Mobility umbrella, automotive industry body Society of Indian Automobile Manufactutrers (SIAM) will organize the customer-focused motor show, which is typically a ticketed event attracting retail footfall at Bharat Mandapam in Pragati Maidan, while the global components expo will be organized by Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA) at Yashobhoomi in Dwarka. The three-event show will be rounded off by a construction equipment expo in Greater Noida, which will likely be anchored by the Indian Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association (ICEMA).
Read Also: After 3 years, Auto Expo holds promise for emerging technologies
Bharat Mobility Global Expo, which was anchored by the Ministry of Commerce’s Engineering Export Promotion Council of India (EEPC) and automotive industry bodies SIAM and ACMA among others in its first edition in February this year, will expand to three venues next year from 17 January to 22 January, in a bid to position the show as a bigger global mobility event in India.
Roadshows to attract international buyers for the auto components show are set to begin soon, while the construction equipment expo is expected to see a footfall of builders, developers, and urban planners among others, the people cited above told Mint.
“All these sectors are linked – construction, auto component and the finished product (vehicles). Our idea is to bring the entire value chain in India”, a government official said.
The first edition of Bharat Mobility Global Expo, which was held in February this year, gathered a footfall of over 1.5 lakh visitors, he added. Indian automobile manufacturers, suppliers and participants from allied sectors, including batteries, charging, steel and tyres, came together for the show in Bharat Mandapam even as the participants expressed scepticism over the need to hold the show every year instead of biennially, as has been the practice with the Auto Expo, considering supplier ecosystems usually take longer to develop new technologies. Many hoped the show, with its friendlier cost structures compared to the Auto Expo (which is launch-event-oriented and costs original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) renting larger spaces more money) will give longer notice to industry in its next edition to enable better planning.
Also Read: Auto Expo, once a mega motor show, is sputtering now
Auto OEMs Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motor India, Tata Motors and Mahindra & Mahindra had put up pavilions at the Expo, but none had any new products to show, save Mercedes Benz, which unveiled its EQG concept. As a result, retail interest for the end-consumer in the show was limited. Electric vehicle (EV) maker VinFast, which was supposed to be a major draw, opted out. The first edition came together in just two months.
With the motor show moving back to New Delhi, interest in the show is expected to be much larger, and the pace of new launches much stronger, as the show coincides with a slew of new electric vehicle launches by major Indian and foreign OEMs for the domestic market.
The Society of Indian Electric Vehicle Manufacturers (SMEV), and the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) will also take part in the event.
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Published: 05 May 2024, 09:44 PM IST