The long-running India Hand Tools & Fastener Expo brings in over 4,000 international buyers and is benefiting from an end user trend that is shifting from value to quality. Torque profiles the latest edition of the show…
Keeping tabs on the globe’s fastener and tool shows is no small task, but if you haven’t already heard of India’s Hand Tools & Fastener Expo then it’s probably about time that changed.
While the financial pundits may argue about the finer details, India currently has the world’s fastest growing largescale economy and – according to the Standard Chartered Bank – will have the world’s third largest economy by 2020. Those enviable numbers and predictions only help to cement India’s long held reputation as a key territory to do business.
The Hand Tools Expo and Fastener Expo has been tapping into that reputation for 15 years. The long running show covers hand tools, power tools, industrial tools, fasteners and allied products for industry. It serves a number of market sectors including aviation/aerospace, automotive, heavy engineering, construction/infrastructure, woodworking/furniture and gardening/horticulture.
This year’s Hand Tools Expo and Fastener Expo ran over mid-August 2016 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India – reportedly the largest exhibition centre in India (though we haven’t actually been around all of India’s show venues to check).
The show is endorsed by the Fastener Manufacturers Association of India and the Ludhiana Hand Tools Association and around 145 exhibitors showcased product at the show, from a total of six countries. Taiwanese fastener firms were among those at the show, including Nichibo, Topist, Kind-Auspice, Ya-Suh-Dar, Uni-Wise, Chao-Jing, Anlidar, Miyanch, Cartell, and Whirlpower. They formed the Taiwan exhibition delegation organised by the Bureau of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and implemented by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA). It’s not just Taiwan taking advantage of the opportunity to showcase companies on an industry pavilion, with China also putting one together. Over the course of the three-day show, over 4,000 buyers visited from around the world using the show as a sourcing point for product.
The show dates for 2017 have been set as 8–10 September 2017, but the show will this time move from New Delhi to the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai. The venue is used to hosting prestigious trade events and is easy to access, situated along the Western Express Highway in Goregaon, within 10 minutes from airports, walking distance to train stations and a 20 minute drive from the city itself. In total, the BEC offers over 45,000 sq
metres of air-conditioned Wi-Fi enabled space – ample room for the re-located show looking to grow for 2017.
INDUSTRY INSIGHT
The Indian hand tool and allied product market is moving away from the price sensitive end to a quality-conscious user, according to the show organisers, due in part to the expansion of sectors such as aviation and heavy engineering, and the growing need for quality and specialist tools. Personnel in the manufacturing, operations maintenance, repair and overhaul sectors are now seeking quality, high-end hand tools, power tools, speciality tools, fasteners and allied products. According to Government statistics, the UK is the largest G20 investor in India and India is the third largest investor in the UK.
