Successful tandem event: drink technology India and International PackTech India line up for the start together for the third time in a row

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Two industries – one trade show

Two industries, one joint exhibition platform: That is the success formula of drink technology India and International PackTech India. These two events are teaming up together for the third time in succession in the Indian city of Mumbai between September 25 and 27, 2014. On show under one roof at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Center will be products and solutions from and for the International packaging, packaging print, processing, beverages and food industries. For the first time, therefore, these two events will be covering the food-processing segment.

Applications are now invited for companies interested in exhibiting at these two events. Online applications for drink technology India can be sent to www.drinktechnology-india.com and for International PackTech India to: www.packtech-india.com. Hall 1 at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Center, offering 11,000 square meters of space, is reserved for these two trade events.

The organizers of the two shows – Messe D?sseldorf, responsible for International PackTech India and Messe M?nchen International, for drink technology India – are expecting a total of at least 260 exhibitors (2012: 220 exhibitors) to register for these two events in 2014. And, in view of the ongoing boom in the markets of India and its neighboring states, they are also expecting a significant increase in the number of visitors. 7,500 trade professionals attended the last event in November 2012, and 8,500 are forecast for 2014.

Combined expertise of drinktec and interpack
The exhibitors and visitors at these two events benefit from the expertise of not one but two of the world?s top exhibition companies, and from the synergy effects between the packaging, beverages and food/liquid food industries. With the inclusion of food processing into the spectrum covered by drink technology India, this area is now represented in full at the event duo in Mumbai. Supporting the quality and success of International PackTech India and drink technology India are the two big events held in Germany by the trade-fair companies of D?sseldorf and Munich: interpack, the leading international trade fair for processing and packaging in D?sseldorf (next dates: May 8-14, 2014), and drinktec, the “World?s Leading Trade Fair for the Beverage and Liquid Food Industry” in Munich (next dates: September 16-20, 2013). Like these parent events in Germany, drink technology India and International PackTech India cover the entire process chain in their respective sectors, but with the difference that the events in Mumbai present solutions and technologies specially tailored to the Indian market. Both trade fairs target top and middle management: decision-makers from the boardrooms and also technical experts in production and R&D.

Trade-fair duo covers all segments
This trade-fair duo is the largest event on the subcontinent that informs on the entire spectrum of the packaging, packaging print, processing, beverages, food and liquid food industries. For the first time drink technology India is now also covering the area of food processing in its portfolio. The nomenclature for the event was therefore extended to include a section on “Technology for food processing”. This includes machinery and equipment for foods of all kinds – for example for confectionery and sweet products, for meat, fruit and vegetables and for milk processing. The exhibitors in this section have the benefit of a special presentation platform. The reason for extending the product range is that there are ever more places of intersection in the manufacture and processing of beverages, liquid food and food. In a survey conducted during drink technology India and International PackTech India in 2012 as many as 28 percent of the visitors stated that they were also interested in food processing. That underlines the need for such a platform. In India per-capita consumption of packaged beverages and food is still very low. However, expenditure on these products has doubled in the last five years – and that trend is continuing.

Packaged foods: 27-percent growth forecast over four years
The food and beverages industry is among the strongest growing sectors on the Indian subcontinent. Consistent, and comparatively high growth figures for the economy, rising incomes, expanding, high-spending middle classes, a high proportion of young people in the population, increasing urbanization and widespread modern retail concepts (supermarkets and hypermarkets) are all factors that will continue to boost demand over the coming years for processed and hygienically packaged food and drink.

According to market researchers Euromonitor, demand for processed and packaged food will increase between 2013 and 2017 by a total of 27 percent, from currently 30 million tonnes to 38 million tonnes in 2017. Sales of soft drinks over the same period are set to double to 230 billion liters. The biggest segment here is bottled water. In the coming years the average annual rise here is expected to be 20 percent. Demand for alcoholic drinks is also predicted to continue rising: from 38 billion liters in 2013 to 52 billion liters in 2017, an increase of 34 percent. In particular beer is becoming ever more popular. This segment is set to rise by an average of 9 percent per year over the coming years.

India is an important market for machinery manufacturers
India has invested considerably in recent years in the expansion of its food and beverages industry, and in its packaging sector. For the manufacturers of food processing machinery and packaging machinery, India is the second most important sales market in Asia, after China. In 2012 India imported food processing and packaging machinery to the value of 662 million euros, a rise of 2 percent over the previous year. Over 60 percent of all the machinery and systems delivered are of European manufacture. The most important trading partner for state-of-the-art technology is Italy, accounting for 19 percent of the business, followed by Germany, with 16 percent.
In the coming years, too, much investment in the food and beverages industry will still be required, if supplies to the domestic market are to be improved and the export business expanded. The increasing export orientation of the food industry is also opening up good sales opportunities in the high-tech area for manufacturers of food processing machinery and packaging machinery. In order to meet international standards of quality, companies will have to invest in modern technology.

Demand for modern processing and packaging/bottling machinery will also rise further as a result of the planned construction of many new supermarkets (which will further boost the food and beverages industry), and because of the development of new products and increasing hygiene requirements. As more and more sophisticated packaging materials are used by Indian companies, a higher level of automation in the packaging systems will also be required, and new machinery will need to be acquired. Although the number of local manufacturers of food processing machinery and packaging machinery is rising, in future, too, demand will not be met by local production alone. In particular as regards fully automatic packaging and bottling machinery, India will still need to source much of this requirement from abroad.

Attractive supporting program
In addition to the presentations of the exhibitors, there will also be an attractive supporting program to the two events at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Center. As in 2010 and 2012 International PackTech India will again be featuring an accompanying conference on packaging themes. And in the Exhibitor Forum at drink technology India, exhibiting companies will be informing visitors about the latest technologies. A new aspect of the program here are round-table talks with recognized experts from India and around the world. The topics under discussion will include themes and technologies for tomorrow, tailored specifically for the Indian market.