S K Negi MD, GETCO (L) & Amit Bhatnagar, Chairperson, Switch Global Expo
Spread across 80,000 sqm at the city's Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Expo Centre, it is slated to be one of the largest expos on Electrical and Innovation in India. It will serve as a platform for industry players in the Electrical Sector to showcase their products and explore business opportunities with globally reputed companies. On display will be the widest range of switchgears, cables, conductors and fiber optic wires, transmission line technologies, control and automation, transformers, among many other products.
The expo will offer visitors and participants opportunities to network with like-minded people from electrical companies and state governments from across the world. Special pavilions will be set up for students and institutes, for safety and security, and another will be dedicated to resale and refurbishing options.
Amit Bhatnagar, Chairperson, FGI, informed that over 1,000 domestic manufacturers, 200 international manufacturers, and more than 8,500 strategic buyers from across the globe have already confirmed their participation, and t hey are expecting over a lakh visitors during the five days of the expo."We want to create a global market for Vadodra and for India, the way the Hannover Fair did for Germany, so with our focus on buyers, we will set up 100 conference rooms where buyers can meet suppliers within a dedicated space. This B2B facilitation is a major initiative of ours. Our aim is to facilitate ease of doing business by creating an enabling environment."
He added, "The electrical sector is our strength with Vadodra having a huge manufacturing hub. In fact, 23% of India's industrial manufacturing happens in Vadodra. Our focus Is on producing quality and on technology; after all, it is the last mile delivery that will determine an industry's capabilities. The electrical sector is non-polluting, and it provides employment to millions directly or indirectly, but for the ecosystem to grow there has to be a platform for buyers." He informed that they will soon be starting a road show that will cover all the top ranking engineering institutes in the country.
Laying stress on innovation as the growth engine of the electrical industry, Surinder K Negi, MD, Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Ltd (GETCO) said that innovation is key to an industry's growth. "The country is focusing on renewable energy resources, electronics and automation, and on meeting consumer needs and demands. There is innovation happening in every field and we need to encourage and reward new and unique developments. So, there will be pavilions dedicated to the academia from electrical institutions where students will display their innovations and will meet industry players directly."
Marquee events such as the World Electrical Buyers Summit (WEBS), Power Minister Conclave and Innovation & Technology Summit will also be hosted here. WEBS is a focused attempt to get quality buyers on a single platform to offer an efficient way to do business. It has garnered confirmed participation from Power Ministers of over 15 countries of the world, 30 Power Ministers from India, Power Secretaries of States of India and Delegations from 95 foreign Utilities and 102 Indian Utilities, along with about 1,150 large corporates of India.
At the Innovation and Technology Summit, innovators will be given stalls to display their work and will feature 15 leading innovators and celebrities as speakers. In addition, an Incubators Forum will facilitate exchange of information with Investors, Bankers and HNIs to encourage venture capital funding in the industry. The Summit will have wide-ranging discussions on Manufacturing Technology, Asset Management, Renewable Energy and Other Technical subjects. Leading corporates such as GE, Siemens, ABB and Suzlon are Technical Partners in the Summit. As a grand finale to the Expo, each attendant will be hosted at the Vadodara Navratri Festival and at the Historic Navlakhi Palace Ground to experience the cultural heritage of Gujarat.
Expo Highlights
- Platform for industry players to showcase products and explore business opportunities with globally reputed companies
- Business networking opportunities for electrical manufacturers, innovators, technology providers, start-ups and partners
- Dedicated pavilions for academia from engineering colleges; safety and security; and resale and refurbishing
- World Electrical Buyers Summit, Power Ministers Conclave, Innovation & Technology Summit
