Review of bauma India 2024
At International Platforms we have been aware for some time that India has a rapidly developing infrastructure and growing machinery market, and we already have clients there. We wanted to improve our knowledge about the structures, rules, regulations and opportunities, so Vicki decided to visit bauma India in December to do some investigative groundwork and get a feel for the place, the people and the potential.
If you are thinking of visiting bauma India we hope you find our review helpful!
Bauma India is a relatively young trade fair (now in its 7th edition) and is still smaller than the established bauma expos in Munich and Shanghai as well as the AEM event Las Vegas. Vicki left the event full of optimism about the future of the construction sectors in India and the wider South Asian region. With expertise, hard work and a willingness to reach out to people, there are real growth opportunities for UK businesses who want to trade with the construction sector.
It is easy to get to this four-day event in Greater Noida on the outskirts of Delhi by metro, taxi and tuk tuk. The diversity of machinery and technology tailored for the Indian market is huge and most of the big international names in manufacturing construction equipment exhibit there. At bauma in Germany the focus seems to be on technological innovation, sustainability and automation. In China it’s all about massive scale and cost effectiveness. Vicki found that in India there was a combination of the two with an added focus on the requirements of the local market with its challenging terrains, rough rural roads and dense urban environments.
Access equipment was only a small fraction of the overall exhibition and often mixed in with other products. However, Vicki was fortunate to be invited to the Aerial Platform Association of India (APAOI) networking event within the showground to find out more about the industry.
In India machines are usually hired with an operator which means the costs and logistics of rental are complex. Competition is also high, so pricing is very low. They are happy to buy machines from all over the world as they are not tied to any specific classification such as CE or ANSI. Indian firms are open to buying pre-owned machines as long as they are affordable and durable, especially as infrastructure projects grow and the pressure to deliver quickly intensifies. In our experience, trading with Indian buyers from the UK can be complicated, slow and fiddly due to the lack of regulations, consistency and the need to build more ongoing strong local relationships within a huge country. However, there are opportunities if you are prepared to learn and to travel, including to exciting trade exhibitions like bauma India.
