Automation Expo 2023 Witnessing a Manufacturing Resurgence
Published on : Friday 15-09-2023
The 16th edition of Automation Expo witnessed the spirit of a resurgent manufacturing sector like never before.
Mr Vinayak Pai, Dr B R Mehta and Dr Thampy Mathew.
The vendors as well as end users of industrial automation products and technologies made a beeline for entry into the Bombay Exhibition Complex at Goregaon East in Mumbai on the morning of Wednesday, August 23rd. The exhibitors arrived early to ensure every item on display at their booths was positioned at the right angle to present the best profile to the visitors who trooped in a little later. The monsoon, having expended its fury a month earlier, was not a spoiler, the occasional shower lasting but a few minutes before the clouds made way for the sun. In short, a pleasant morning welcomed the 16th edition of Automation Expo, the biggest show of the Indian subcontinent.
As the inaugural ceremony began with the traditional lighting of the lamp there was a festive atmosphere at the Grande Hall in the BEC Complex, just across the road facing the exhibition halls. The ceremony began with the traditional lighting of the lamp in the presence of Chief Guest, Mr Vinayak Pai, Managing Director & CEO, Tata Projects Limited; Guest of Honour, Mr Vinayak Marathe, Head – India Business Operations, Phillip Townsend Associates, Inc; Dr M Arokiaswamy, Chairman, IED Communications and distinguished members of the Board of Governors – C-Level executives of leading companies in the automation domain who are the mentors for Automation Expo since inception and instrumental in the successful conduct of each edition of the show.
Dr B R Mehta, former Sr VP, Reliance Industries and Member, Board of Governors and Chairman, Steering Committee, for Automation Expo, welcomed the Chief Guest, Guest of Honour and the delegates to set the tone for the inaugural ceremony.
Next, Dr M Arokiaswamy, Chairman, IED Communications and the visionary founder of the iconic show, began by thanking all the VIPs and delegates for their presence and spoke of the significance of the day as India’s Moon Mission, the Chandrayaan-3 was scheduled for the soft landing on the lunar surface that evening. He thanked the exhibitors for the overwhelming response to the show and promised them a Mega Event in 2024 – Bigger and Better – the credo of the organisers.
Referring to the 16th edition of the show as the Sweet Sixteen moment in the two decades of the show that was launched in 2002, Ms Jyothi Joseph, Director, IED Communications, mentioned the crucial role the members of the Board of Governors play behind the scenes for the smooth conduct of the Automation Expo making it truly representative, responding to the contemporary needs of the user industries.
In his address, Mr Vinayak Marathe, Guest of Honour, spoke about the importance of automation in the present scenario. Automation is not an expenditure, it is an investment, he said, adding that it is an investment with the fastest return. Regaling the audience with several anecdotes, Mr Marathe had a word of caution to the plant managers – one human error can cost the company more than a year’s profit – the error automation can prevent.
Mr Vinayak Pai, Chief Guest, in his speech referred to the healthy post-Covid GDP growth of India and said the country is in a unique position, credit of which goes to the Indian education system which is today a talent pool for the world. Dividing the post Independence India in three distinct phases of growth – Agriculture followed by Services, he asserted that now is the turn of Manufacturing. The country is poised to be the manufacturing hub of the world.
The Inauguration Ceremony was followed by the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon in Hall 1 of the exhibition and the VIPs then made a round of the place, visiting various booths and understanding the innovations showcased by various exhibitors. Concurrent events at the exhibition were CEO Networking Nite in the evening of August 23rd; Conferences on Futuristic Instrumentation & Automation, and Factory Automation on the 24th of August; and Prize Distribution Ceremony on August 25th. Over 500 companies participated in the event with 20,000 plus products and a total of 39,548 visitors were recorded during the 4-day show.
A new initiative at this edition of Automation Expo was the India Automation Challenge 2023 (IAC 2023) for engineering students to showcase their skills and compete for cash prizes up to Rs 1,00,000. Conceived and organised by Industrial Automation, India’s leading monthly publication on discrete manufacturing and process automation, the initiative aims to inspire young minds, provide exposure to real-world automation challenges, and create a talent pool of practical solution-oriented professionals.
IAC 2023 with IEEE Bombay Section as Technology Partner was mentored by eminent professionals from the automation industry that include names like: Dr B R Mehta, Former Sr VP, Reliance Industries and Member, Board of Governors and Chairman, Steering Committee, for Automation Expo; and Prof Dattatray S Sawant, ISA Maharashtra Student Section Liaison and Student Activities Chair, IEEE Bombay Section.
Over 100 entries were received for the IAC 2023. Top 10 finalists were shortlisted and provided space at the expo. Winners were declared and felicitated at a grand ceremony on August 25, 2023, during Automation Expo 2023. The prize distribution ceremony was sponsored by Axis Solutions Pvt Ltd and Delta Electronics.
(The complete pictorial report of Automation Expo 2023 will be featured in the October 2023 edition of Industrial Automation. The show report is available on the Industrial Automation portal)
