Industrial Automation Magazine India

Chennai to Host Automation ExpoSouth 

Published on : Wednesday 01-02-2023

The maiden edition of Automation ExpoSouth will be hosted at Chennai from April 26-28, 2023.
 

According to a report by Research And Markets, the Indian industrial automation market was valued at USD 10.72 billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach USD 23.09 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 14.26% over the forecast period (2022 - 2027).
 
With a renewed focus on manufacturing, backed by vigorous policy initiatives, the Indian industrial automation sector has witnessed dramatic changes in terms of companies adopting digitalisation by combining digital and physical aspects of manufacturing to deliver optimum performance. Growing environmental awareness has brought sustainability in focus with emphasis on achieving zero waste production and a shorter time to market.
 
The report further states how Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and the Industrial 4.0 are at the center of the new technological approaches for developing, producing, and managing the entire logistics chain, otherwise known as smart factory automation. They are dominating the trends in the industrial sector, with machinery and devices being connected via the internet.

One of the major factors that lend a boost to automation in industry was the Covid-19 pandemic that tested the global economy like never before. Automation was one of the major talking points throughout the pandemic, as businesses high on the adoption curve were better prepared to face months of lockdown which otherwise impacted every human activity globally. Companies started to look beyond conventional approaches and began to look at robotics-enabled automation systems, especially in the warehousing industry. Having suffered the impact of the pandemic, industry is now better prepared to deal with possible recurrence of as an adversity, and automation is one of the effective solutions. This much was evident during the 15th edition of Automation Expo that was held in mid-August, 2022, at the Bombay Exhibition Complex in Mumbai.

Since inception in the year 2002, Automation Expo has always been held in Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country. What had started as a biennial event had later become an annual exhibition, organised by IED Communications, the company founded by Dr M Arokiaswamy, the Founder Chairman and Managing Director, and the brain behind the hugely successful show. The company has now decided to hold an edition in Chennai in April 2023.

Automation ExpoSouth is scheduled from April 26th to 28th, at the Chennai Trade Centre at Nandambakkam. This will be the first time Automation Expo will hold an event outside Mumbai. “Exhibitions traditionally attract large crowds from the home State. India being a large country spread across vast geographical expanse, the industries of Tamil Nadu would greatly benefit from a show held at its capital city Chennai, which has of late been in the news for attracting global projects worth thousands of crores,” said Dr M Arokiaswamy, Chairman & MD, IED Communications, about the decision to take the show to Chennai with a dedicated edition.

For decades celebrated as the Detroit of India, Chennai is a hub of leading automobile manufacturers that at one time housed assembly operations of leading carmakers like Ford, Hyundai, Nissan/Renault/Datsun and Royal Enfield. A thriving metropolis that is home to over 10 million strong population brimming with a highly qualified talent pool, the city has in recent years attracted high profile global players from the telecom and electronics industries. The State of Tamil Nadu has also been a traditional stronghold of PSUs and other large corporations in the oil & gas, petrochemicals, fertilisers and energy sector – including nuclear power plants – making it a large base of process industries.  
 
Since inception, IED Communications has instituted a Board of Governors comprising seasoned professionals from the automation industry, to mentor, conduct and guide Automation Expo as a contemporary show focused on the latest development in the field of automation, with cutting edge technologies on display at the event. Their collective expertise guides the organisers in keeping the event in tune with the latest trends of the industry, as well as meeting the requirements of the current needs of the industry.
 
At a meeting held in Chennai in mid-January 2022, over a dozen members of the Board of Governors deliberated on the planning for Automation ExpoSouth, fine tuning the details. Among those who attended the meeting were: Dr B R Mehta, Former Sr Vice President – Reliance Industries Ltd, who is the Chairman – Steering Committee, Board of Governors; Dr V P Raman, Consultant, Tecton Engineering & Construction LLC – UAE and Dr Thampy Mathew, Managing Director, Pepperl+Fuchs Manufacturing (India) Pvt Ltd, both members of the Steering Committee; and V B Srikar, Co Chairman, Nagman Group of Companies and Member, Board of Governors.

“Chennai is an established industrial hub and still growing through recent initiatives taken by the Tamil Nadu State government which is attracting overseas investors for establishing new industries. However, there is no exhibition conducted in the field of Instrumentation & Automation,” said V B Srikar, Co-Chairman, Nagman Group of Companies, the company well known as a manufacturer and supplier of world class instrumentation systems and calibration instruments and services.
 
“Chennai has been the hub for Engineering and Integration towards Process Industries for many decades now. During the late Nineties, Chennai – or in general Tamil Nadu – became the hub of automotive industries in the country...it also expanded to IT industries after the year 2000. The famous Engineering Institutions in Chennai starting from MIT, IIT, VIT, etc., besides the new autonomous colleges contributed towards the growth of industries and vice versa during the last 30 years,” said DR Thampy Mathew, Managing Director, Pepperl+Fuchs Manufacturing (India) Pvt Ltd.
 
“Exhibitions like Automation Expo will help establish the required platform for the Instrumentation & Automation fraternity to interact with each other more closely and at the same time bring the latest technologies and products closer home to the user industries. We want major users, decision makers, maintenance and shop floor executives to see the products, systems, services and solutions for all industries to upgrade with the latest technologies. They will also directly hear from domain experts who would be available to share their knowledge in the different forums at the show. Exhibit – Engage – Explore for infinite opportunities at the Automation ExpoSouth 2023,” said Ms Jyothi Joseph, Director, IED Communications, who leads the marketing initiative for the expo.