JUNE-JULY 2018 Nov-Dec 2017 - Copy | Page 27

Excon has evolved into a premier platform for Infrastructure Development India. What is the added advantage offered by Excon 2017 to its exhibitors and visitors? Excon is the biggest exhibition for our industry not only in India, but in South Asia. Over the years, it has evolved as an ideal platform to exhibit products and services that have the potential to drive growth in the future. Excon 2017 is bigger than its previous editions. The display area has increased; 2,50,000Sq.mts of exhibition display area, a 12% increase as compared to the year 2015.We expect over 40,000 visitors this year which is a 15% increase from Excon 2015.Over 900 exhibitors, including 275+ exhibitors from other countries participating in this editiona 16% increase from the previous edition of 2015. Some of the new features include a Virtual Exhibition wherein a company can showcase their products, new technologies post event which will be available for a period of 60 days. Excon has been and continues to be the pre-eminent construction equipment exhibition for us and this year’s theme of “Smart Technologies fueling Next Gen Infra” syncs extremely well with Excon being a key enabler in bringing world class products and technologies to India ultimatelyto help build India’s infrastructure. Please elaborate on the theme of this year’s Excon? Do you see ‘Digital’ coming to the fore and how? Digital has come into the fore. We, as an industry, are also going through a digital revolution and we are fully embracing the new digital experiences by integrating Big Data and Internet of Things in our operations. The big disrupter here is now digital technology and how it is changing our lives. Internet of things and big data have begun to affect our lives in more ways than one can imagine and it is not just an urban phenomena but equally affects the lives of people working in rural and semi urban parts of India. Telematics will play a significant role in how machines to machine communication is done and how it ultimately leads to site and fleet efficiency. Excon, I mentioned earlier is a platform where all manufacturers like to showcase their latest technologies, this includes digital technology. What are the major challenges before the Construction Equipment Industry today? Speedy Implementation of Infrastructure Projects is a necessity today. How is Excon 2017 poised to aid this? The first and foremost challenge that we are facing Your comments on the importance of being as an industry is limited demand drivers. Presently, ‘zero-defect’ for progress and also ‘Zero- the only sector that has been generating demand for construction and earthmoving equipment is Roads effect’ for environmental sustenance. Zero Defect and Zero Effect are both important pillars of the Make in India programme as they are essential in positioning India as a global manufacturing hub. Zero Defect translated to world class quality products whereas Zero Effect is about minimising discharge and pollution. The announcement of Make in India and Zero Defect Zero Effect speaks about the Government wanting to change the course of economy by focusing on manufacturing as an engine to sustained growth. Sustainable growth needs to be fostered to ensure that negative effect on the environment does not take place. www.ghmediabusiness.com Also, as the demand for our eq