After five years, expo organiser Deutsche Messe is switching the venue of CeMAT India from Bangalore to Delhi.

In 2007, Deutsche Messe launched CeMAT India as the first materials handling show in India. The inaugural show was well received but in 2009, a leading materials handling company's representative called for the show to be held once every two years instead of annually, and for the show's hall venue in Bangalore to be changed (Forkliftaction.com News #393).

This year, the exhibition will be held on 21-24 November at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida along with four other trade fairs - MDA INDIA, Surface INDIA, Industrial Automation INDIA and Laser INDIA. Together, the five fairs will feature exhibits from worldwide suppliers of intralogistics technology, power transmission and control systems, surface treatment systems, industrial automation solutions and laser technology.

"We are providing our customers with a powerful new marketing platform in north-eastern India. The state-of-the-art infrastructure of the new exhibition venue in Delhi meets the highest quality standards and enables us to stage a complementary series of conferences," says Andreas Gruchow, Deutsche Messe management board member.

The 2011 after-show report for events held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre says that the organiser has "understood the demand put forward by its valuable partners to go to one of the economic centres of India".

Delhi, with a population of about 16.3 million, has a strong industrial base. Deutsche Messe expects the new location to guarantee large numbers of high-calibre trade visitors to its shows.

"It's no coincidence that many of the world's leading corporations, such as Samsung, Nestlé, Coca Cola and Pepsi, have chosen to establish their Indian headquarters in Delhi," Gruchow says.

Delhi is a major centre for industries, including the automotive sector. India's largest automobile manufacturer, Maruti Suzuki, produces more than 1.2 million cars each year at its facilities in the South of Delhi. The region has also attracted well-known automotive parts suppliers, such as Knorr Bremse and Goodyear Tyres.

Other industries that are well represented in the area include the electronics and pharmaceutical industries, the leather goods industry and the mechanical engineering sector.

According to Deutsche Messe, the entire region around Delhi will benefit from the major infrastructure development work being carried out on the Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor in the near future. The corridor is expected to attract billions of dollars worth of private-sector investment.

Deutsche Messe previously staged its Indian trade fairs in Mumbai and Bangalore. Last year, on 6-9 December, around 400 companies showcased their products and services at the Bangalore International Exhibition Center.

The trade fair and accompanying program of conferences and events are co-organised by Deutsche Messe and Hannover Milano Fairs India.