VDW Symposium in India India/Germany: India’s Expanding Market Opts for German Production Technology

The German machine tool industry continues to arouse keen interest in India. For the fourth time in succession, the VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association) joined forces with the German-Indian Chamber of Industry and Commerce and organised one-day symposia on 15 March in Chennai and on 17 March in Pune.

Seventeen front-ranking companies like DMG Mori, Emag, Gehring, Gleason-Pfauter, Heckert, Heller, Hermle, Kapp, Leistritz, MAG, Mauser, Open Mind, Peiseler, Profiroll, Samag, Schwäbische Werkzeugmaschinen and Waldrich Coburg showcased their products, solutions and services for modern-day industrial production operations. Around 240 customers from the automotive industry and its component suppliers, the general mechanical engineering sector, and the aviation industry accepted the invitation in Chennai; 220 customers came to Pune.

“This is already the fourth occasion that the VDW has been represented in two cities at a time with its symposia in India. This has proved to be a good idea, because of the country’s size and its regional distribution of industrial activity,” explains Klaus-Peter Kuhnmünch, who, at the organiser VDW, is responsible for the technology symposia.

India’s machine tool market offers huge potential

With a market volume of almost 1.8 billion euros, India came eighth in the world rankings for machine tools in 2015. The VDW’s British forecasting partner, Oxford Economics, expects the Indian economy to pick up speed in the years ahead, with industrial production output and capital investment both rising. The machine tool market is predicted to expand by 9–10% in both 2016 und 2017. The growth of the Indian market is directly linked to improvements in the local infrastructures. “The slogan ‘Make in India’ is aimed at central investments on the spot, and creates ideal conditions for direct investments from abroad. We want to benefit directly from this welcome trend,” emphasises Head of Technological Development and Patents, Gehring Technologies GmbH, Ostfildern, Gerhard Flores, who was attending the VDW’s symposium.

German manufacturers see a turnaround

It was in 2007 and 2008 that the German machine tool sector achieved its biggest successes in India. Exports reached a figure of just under 300 million euros. In the two subsequent years, the worldwide financial and economic crisis caused them to shrink by a quarter. In 2014, for example, the volume of exports was a mere 150 million euros. In 2015, however, signs of a turnaround emerged, which the sector is keen to benefit from. To quote Executive Vice President Global Sales, MAG IAS GmbH, Dr. Manfred Berger: “It’s primarily the automotive industry and its component suppliers that are our principal focus in India. We are anticipating significant growth in these customer sectors in the future. International component suppliers, in particular, are exhibiting growth potential of exceptional dynamism.”

German machine tool industry opts for can-do associates

The VDW’s symposium was organised in conjunction with the German-Indian Chamber of Industry and Commerce. In the view of Hubert Reilard, Chamber of Foreign Trade President in India, the Indian subcontinent is an important market for the German mechanical engineering sector. Under the new government, particularly, India’s industrial sector is achieving notable development, and German vendors, with their production capabilities, could assume a crucial role for the country’s upcoming industrialisation thrust, he emphasises.

* Content Source: VDW

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