Version 1.0 of this article, written 55 days before drupa24, said that the German and European visa processes in India were better organized than in previous decades to handle fair participants. However, on 23 April, which is 35 days before the start of the fair, reports are emerging of visa appointments going into late June, well after the event is over. (It’s necessary for most Indians to physically visit since a fresh set of biometrics is almost always necessary, apart from the humiliating set of financial documents required.)
Nevertheless, the enthusiasm amongst the Indian industry for drupa24 is high. Considered by Indian print and packaging businesses as a university – the fair is a way of learning what’s going on in the industry and about the most likely to succeed technologies of the future. Indians attend for several days with great hunger to learn whatever they can and for the pleasure of networking with colleagues from everywhere in the world at the fair. Drupa works especially well for bringing the next generation into the family business. It’s an initiation for young printers and converters and visiting the fair becomes a rite of passage.
This brings me to the second topic discussed in Version 1 – that this could be the Asian drupa. China will have the highest number of exhibitors at drupa24 although German exhibitors will still occupy the largest amount of floor space. Of the 1,580 exhibitors listed by the organizers, 580 or 36.7% are from Asia beginning from Australia and moving westward to Pakistan – both countries have a single exhibitor listed. The largest number of exhibitors from the region are from China with 405, and one can add Hong Kong at 10 and another 22 from Taiwan for a total of 437, which represents 27.6% of the total number of drupa exhibitors from that entity. India is represented by 84 exhibitors, Korea by 26, Japan by 23 (some Japanese companies may be listed under their European locations), and Malaysia with 4 exhibitors.
Indian and Asian exhibitors want to highlight their development capacities in newer technologies – their abilities in software and mechatronic automation. Asian exhibitors understand that their strength in the global marketplace of the future will come from their agility and quicker implementation of new technology in more unique machines and solutions than their global counterparts.
The drupa website contains several articles about technologies that are featured at the show but only one article refers to Asia – “Hyper Local, Still Global: Asia a Source of Growth and Innovation.” The article by James Loudon, managing partner, EMEA, IoT ONE, says in part, “As we shift our focus towards Asia, we can see a region leading the way in transformation, with several rapidly expanding markets and innovation hubs. The region is home to some of the world’s most prominent science and technology clusters, highlighting its critical role in driving global innovation and technological advancement.
“Asia’s rise and transformation in the past two decades has been China-centric. China will remain a central part of supply chains with its advanced manufacturing infrastructure for many products for the foreseeable future. However, ASEAN nations progressively position themselves as viable alternatives for a ‘China+n’ approach, capitalizing on their cost-effectiveness, burgeoning infrastructure, and youthful demographics. Vietnam is on an upward trajectory in low- to mid-value manufacturing in this dynamic region. Meanwhile, Malaysia and Thailand are carving out their niches in the automotive and mobile sectors. Concurrently, with its wealth of STEM talent, India makes headway in the sophisticated realms of IT and software services.
“India strongly desires to become a part of the global supply chain and produce goods for export in addition to China. India also wants to increase the number of services it provides. However, matching the quality of China’s infrastructure, bureaucracy, and production system integration will require significant effort. The interplay between ASEAN and India is interesting because ASEAN’s technical expertise could help India create a synergy that strengthens the global supply chain, especially in the semiconductor industry. . . While China will remain a key player in many product supply chains, other countries will also have a role to play.”
The Super Content Group – let’s make a video for you at drupa24
The Super Content Group consisting of 20 media platforms, including ours, will provide professional video making and distribution at drupa 2024 and beyond. Led by the Inkish team, we are offering to make quality videos at the show to be edited, subtitled in the languages of the Supergroup partners, and uploaded on their websites within hours.
Five Indian exhibitors have signed up with Packaging South Asia and Indian Printer and Publisher, and we expect a few more before 15 May to sign up at our special rates for a 15-minute video-making slot at their stands. Contact Mohit Tyagi at mohit@ippgroup.in for information. Also, contact us if you would like to join our traditional TeamIndia@drupa WhatsApp group.
