The IPCA-EFY Expo offers a common platform to the electronics industry to showcase the equipment, materials and services required for PCB and electronics manufacturing to buyers from west India
By Richa Chakravarty
Saturday, August 17, 2013: Gujarat is one of the fastest growing industrialist states in India. It has made rapid strides in the field of software, IT, solar and electronics thanks to the state’s investor-friendly environment. In view of the fast growth of the state, the Indian Printed Circuit Association (IPCA) and Electronics For You (EFY) have joined hands to organise an international expo at Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat, from August 29-31, 2013. The expo is targeted at the PCB and electronics industries.
Over the last four decades, the EFY Group has become synonymous with information on cutting-edge technology. IPCA, on the other hand, is the only association representing the interests of the PCB manufacturers and users in the country.
Why Gujarat?
Interestingly, for the first time in eight years, IPCA is organising its expo outside Bengaluru and has chosen Gujarat as its destination. Says Parth Shah, managing director, Peach Technovations Pvt Ltd, and a member of IPCA’s organising committee, “This year, we decided to take the expo to Gandhinagar, as Gujarat is a potential market for the PCB industry.”
From the current demand of 17.7 million sq m, the market for PCBs in India is expected to grow to over Rs 45 million sq m by 2014. “And a good chunk of this demand is expected from Gujarat, as the state is slowly becoming a favourite destination for automotive players. With a lot of automotive manufacturers and engineering companies moving to Gujarat, naturally they require an electronics base in the state,” says Parth Shah. Several car makers have established their plants in Gujarat—General Motors manufactures at Halol near Vadodara, Tata manufactures the Nano in Sanand near Ahmedabad, and AMW trucks are made near Bhuj.
Says Rohit Raisurana, director, BLG Electronics Ltd, and a member of IPCA, “It’s not about ‘why Gujarat?’ but it’s about a company’s exposure to its clients and the industry at large. We are organising the event in the west this time; next time, we may move to the north and later to the east.”
According to Parth Shah, Gandhinagar and Vadodra together house as many manufacturers as Bengaluru does. Key manufacturers like Uniq Technologies, Fineline Circuits, Meena Circuits, BLG Electronics, Circuit Systems India Ltd, Genus Electrotech, etc, are some of the major PCB brands operating out of Gujarat.
Says Satish Athavale, managing director, Shogini Technoarts Pvt Ltd, a leading PCB manufacturer exhibiting at the expo, “The Bengaluru PCB market has already been fully explored and there is no new client to pitch to. Gujarat, on the other hand, is a booming industrial state; hence, the opportunities there are expected to be more.”
Adds Vijay Gujarathi, director and VP, operations, EOS Power India Pvt Ltd, “Cities like Vadodara and Ahmedabad in Gujarat are developing fast, and the electronics industry is expected to pick up quickly in these cities, as the opportunities in Pune have already become exhausted. So, companies are now eyeing these cities to generate new business.”
The state-run Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) plans to establish three greenfield electronic parks in Sanand, Ahmedabad; Vithalpur village in the Bechraji-Mandal Special Investment Region (SIR) of Mehsana and Ahmedabad; and at Halol in Vadodara district. These parks will be set up under the Central government’s Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (MSIPS).
What IPCA-EFY Expo offers
The IPCA-EFY Expo offers a common platform to the electronics industry to showcase to buyers from west India the equipment, materials and services required for PCB and electronics manufacturing. While the exhibitors from the entire ecosystem that supports the electronics and PCB industries will exhibit their products directly to thousands of potential buyers and thus build up their client database, electronics and PCB manufacturers can find new suppliers with new solutions and connect with their counterparts from around the world. Visitors to the expo will get the unique opportunity to take a close look at the products and services that are making news in the Indian PCB industry.
Electronics Bazaar, South Asia’s No.1 Electronics B2B magazine
