Putting Hyderabad on the Wire & Cable Map

The Cable and Wire Expo 2019 will be held at Hyderabad from April 3-5. As a curtain-raiser to the show, Udo Schuertzmann, Chief Executive Officer, Messe India, elaborates in an interview with Huned Contractor about the highlights of the show and how it will be a platform for the showcasing of new technologies and products

Q. Could you provide an overview of the trade show that will highlight the wire and cable industry of India?

Cable and Wire Expo 2019 will be an ideal platform for interaction, networking, exchange of ideas, product displays, distribution of industry information, focused business presentation, live demonstrations, new development and innovation. It will be a platform for showcasing new technologies for all stakeholders like manufacturers, suppliers, ancillaries, end-users, government and the industry under one roof. It will attract visitors from all over the country as well as overseas. It will be held concurrently along with Cutting and Welding India and Tube and Sheet Metal Expo at the same venue. We have thus called the trio ‘Metal Fairs’.

Q. Apart from providing a platform for exhibitors to display their latest products, will there be themes to focus on new technologies in this industry?

Cable and Wire Expo 2019 itself is a themed exhibition of this industry which will open ample number of opportunities for the exhibitors. Being the first edition, our major focus is to open a new marketplace for the industry players and ensure healthy businesses for all.

Q. What has prompted the decision to hold the show in Hyderabad?

Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have emerged as the top states in terms of ease of doing business and Hyderabad remains on the top. With an output of USD 74 billion, Hyderabad is the fifth-largest contributor to India’s overall GDP. Hyderabad has a favourable infrastructure, ample resources, decent cost of living, and availability of skilled professionals. The current government has announced plans for infrastructure development in Hyderabad. One of the primary focus areas of the development plan is railways, with over Rs 8,00,000 crore as promised investment over the period of 2015 to 2020. Highway projects worth USD 93 billion, which includes the government flagship National Highway Building Project, and Hyderabad Development Project with total investment of USD 45 billion over the next three years, have also been announced. China’s Guizhou International Investment Corporation will invest USD 500 million to develop an industrial park at the Kakinada SEZ, a subsidiary of GMR Infrastructure Ltd. Therefore, these are few of the factors that have encouraged us to hold such a type of platform in Hyderabad.

Q. How will this show be different from the wire and cable show held earlier in Mumbai or the forthcoming show in Bangkok?

This show will be different from the other shows which are happening domestically and internationally as Cable and Wire Expo will be a premier industrial exhibition for MSMEs and heavy industries. It will be the single-largest collaborative platform of Indian manufacturing, engineering and other ancillary industries from the micro, small and medium-scale industries, large industries and public sector undertakings.

Q. What is your view about the present status of the wire and cable industry in India?

The Indian cable and wire market is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 10.3% through 2023, predominantly on account of growing government investments towards infrastructure development projects. Development of smart cities across the country under the aegis of the Smart Cities Mission coupled with increasing number of electronic devices per household and development of manufacturing industries under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, which is driving demand for power, are expected to boost market demand in the coming years. Moreover, growing demand for reliable, efficient energy, and data communication from rural areas and Tier II and III cities and towns would positively influence the country’s cable and wire market.

Q. Are exhibitors excited about any new triggers that will drive the industry ahead in 2019?

The exhibitors are very excited about the upcoming opportunities standing ahead. Cable and Wire Expo will be the only platform in the Indian southern market to cater to this industry, as there is no other trade fair in South India focusing exclusively on the cable and wire sector. We, along with our exhibitors, are very excited to enter this new arena in the southern part of India. With this new launch, a lot of interest from the international companies has also increased which will make the expo a perfect business-exchanging platform.

Q. Will the show highlight certain agendas of the government such as Power for All or Smart Cities Mission that will offer opportunities to cable manufacturers?

The cable and wire industry revolves around these initiatives of the government. The show will bring together the synergy of cable and wire sector under one roof which will help to serve the purpose of the agendas by the current government.

Q. Do you think exhibitors from foreign companies may be willing to enter into technical or manufacturing collaborations with Indian companies?

India is expected to be the third-largest consumer economy as its consumption may triple to USD 4 trillion by 2025. With a high ratio of developing economy, India is one of the faster growing markets in the world. Several opportunities are opening up on account of the developments taking place and making a clear way for international collaborations. As the cable and wire market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.3% through 2023, and the government invests more towards infrastructure development projects, FDI investments in India April-December 2018 stood at USD 33.49 billion, indicating that government’s effort to improve ease of doing business and relaxation in FDI norms will certainly yield more results.

Q. Could you specify certain high points of the show that visitors should not miss?

This show will have certain high points which should not be missed out by the visitors. There will be the Cable and Wire Excellence Awards to recognise the industry.
A technical conference is also planned which will give the delegates an opportunity to get the knowledge of the latest trends in the cable and wire sector. Along with this, a CEO Conclave will be held during the show.