Global slowdown casts shadow on Indian Auto Expo

The Indian car market may be revving but the country's marque event, Auto Expo starting on January 5, is being cut short to just a week as participants want to curtail expenditure in the face of the global slowdown.

"...We are reducing the duration of the expo by two days. This has been done on feedback from participants and members, and it is for cutting expenditure due to the economic condition," Auto Expo Steering Committee Chairman Rajive Kaul told reporters here.

He, however, said the expo would see 1.8 million people, and Director General of SIAM Dilip Chenoy claimed it would be the biggest in the world in terms of footfall. The biennial expo, last held in 2008 lasted for nine days, Jan 9-17.

The 10th Auto Expo in 2010 will see over 10 global launches and about 2,100 participants from 30 countries showcasing their products in 1.25 lakh sq mt of area.

"There will be more than 10 global launches in the expo and this shows how the Indian market is getting importance for global auto makers...We are very pleased to see the response," Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) President Pawan Goenka told reporters from Mumbai in a video conference.

Although the Detroit Motor Show is starting (January 11) immediately after Delhi Auto Expo, still global auto makers will showcase their final and concept products here as "nobody can avoid" the Indian fair, he added.

Chenoy said the expo will "possibly be the largest in terms of footfalls", while it could be third biggest after Frankfurt and Shanghai in terms of participants.

Elaborating on participants, Kaul said about 800 would be international exhibitors, including from Canada, China, the US, France, Germany, Myanmar, Pakistan and the UK, and it is a jump of 40 per cent compared to last Auto Expo in 2008.

Some of the auto maker, which will showcase their new products include Maruti Suzuki, General Motors, Toyota and Honda.

Kaul said the auto fair, which witnessed order bookings worth Rs 1,000 crore in 2008, is expecting its revenue to grow marginally.

The organising committee is facing difficulties in accommodating all requests due to space constraints and last minute negotiations are still going on, Kaul said.

"There is no space left in Pragati Maidan and it is going to be a major challenge in the future," he added.

When asked if the Auto Expo would be shifted to a new and bigger venue in future, Kaul said the organisers are in discussions with the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and the Commerce Ministry for other possible options.

"We are also looking at nearby areas, like in Haryana. We have talked to the state government also, but nothing has been decided yet," he added.