The 1st International Automotive Engineering Show was held recently at the newly constructed Auto Cluster Exhibition Centre, Chinchwad, Pune from May 14 - 17, 2008.

It was inaugurated by the Chief Guest Dr. Thomas Dahlem, Director - Manufacturing of Volkswagen. Guests of Honour were Mr. Nitin Kareer, Divisional Commissioner and Ms. Vaishali Ghodekar, Mayor - PCMC as guests of Honour. Also present were Mr. Dilip Band, Commissioner, PCMC and Chairman of Auto-Cluster Development and Research Institute Limited and Mr. Vikram Salunkhe, Chairman, SME Sub-Committee, Mahratta Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture.

"Solutions for Automotive Manufacturing" was the theme of the event. It showcased high-end technology solutions in Robotics, Automation, Engineering Services, Painting and Welding solutions and Machine tools for the Automotive industry.

The four-day event had displays of technology by automotive technology vendors such as L&T, Siemens, PARI Robotics, Kuka Robotics, Motoman Robotics, Gudel, ABB Robotics, Rockwell Automation, Honeywell Automation, Fraunhofer - Germany, CETIM - France, Jyoti CNC Automation, Electronica Machine Tools, Mitutoyo, etc.

The focus of the event was on technologies for manufacturing and a host of the presentations by eminent speakers from India and abroad on technology subjects of high interest to vehicle manufacturers were an important segment of the show.

Vehicle and component manufacturers came visiting. Almost 10000 high profile buyers paid a visit to the delight of all exhibiting companies.

Said Mr. Sameer Khedkar, Exhibition Director "We were expecting about 4 to 5 thousand visitors in all over the 4-day period. The overwhelming response of quality buyers has clearly indicated the true potential of this event. We shall be conducting many more such events in the near future"

The visitor community comprised of OEM, third-party manufacturers, Component manufacturers from Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 manufacturers. Managers from Planning, Quality, Design dept., Production, Capital purchase, Procurement, New Projects heads, Maintenance, R & D dept. heads, Engineers from the assembly line, Technology managers etc. formed the core visitor profile.

There were in all about 100 participants and 25 technical presentations. A complete list of participants and the presentation program will be released by the organizers on their website www.autoengineeringshow.com soon.

The Auto Cluster Development and Research Institute (ACDRIL) is located snugly within the rich Chinchwad-Talegaon-Chakan automotive district of Pune, off the Old Mumbai-Pune Highway, making it easily accessible from all over the state and Mumbai.

The ACDRI was established under the Industrial Infrastructure Up-gradation Scheme (IIUS) of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India along with the local Municipal Corporation, i.e. Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation. It is a facility for providing support to Small & Medium Enterprises in the area of common facility, validation, training and market promotional activities especially for the automotive and engineering sector.

The ACDRI complex has 2 Air conditioned Exhibition floors, press & media center, cafeteria and an elegant auditorium for seminars and bilateral meetings. Outdoor exhibit space is available for large / heavy exhibits. There is ample parking space for hundreds of cars.

The event was supported by the Automation Industry Association, and was conceptualized, marketed and executed by Mumbai based Focussed Events.

The exhibition and presentations were open at 10.00 AM and closed at 7.00 PM on all four days of the event. It was open for trade professionals only from the automotive and engineering segments.

The sponsors, other participants as well as the buyers were all very happy with the overall quality of the visitors who came for the show. Congratulations are still pouring in for the organizers.

The organizers are shortly announcing the next events, which will be in the fields of Automotive Design, Automotive Electronics, Tyre Technology and Composites and Chemicals for the Automotive industry. The next comprehensive Automotive Engineering Show will take place in Chennai by the year-end.