The IFAT India in Mumbai took place from September 28-30, 2022, at the Bombay Exhibition Center in Mumbai. Despite the absence of several European and Chinese exhibitors due to the pandemic, the show saw an increase in floor space. A total of 250 exhibitors displayed their products and services, with the gross area increasing from 14,500 to 15,000m2. The number of visitors remained stable at 9,289 professionals. The countries with the highest number of exhibitors at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, after India, were Germany and Switzerland.
IFAT India showcases practical solutions in classic environmental technology, water supply, wastewater, waste disposal, recycling, air pollution control, environmental technology and renewable energies. It offers an excellent business and networking platform for Indian and international industry representatives. Numerous program items were offered, including the Active Learning Centre, a training platform for young talents and skilled workers from the Indian environmental industry. In the Innovation Exchange Forum, the focus was on waste processing in addition to water management, with modern recycling processes being the centre of discussion. The supporting program featured top-class international speakers from politics, business and research.
In connection with the official visit of Federal Councillor Parmelin to Mumbai and New Delhi, "Team Switzerland" presented itself for the first time at an environmental technology trade fair under the leadership of the Swiss Business Hub (SBH). SBH, Export Risk Insurance (SERV), and SECO presented Switzerland's potential to support local environmental infrastructure projects for EPC Contractors under the title "Rethinking Infrastructure Sustainable." In addition, the Hub organized a B2B matchmaking dinner, where more than 20 local demand generators attended and exchanged ideas with Swiss exhibitors. Following the exhibition, a workshop on infrastructure was held in the presence of Federal Councillor Parmelin, where success stories on Swiss partnerships and infrastructure projects were presented and lively discussions were held. Indian general contractors and project promoters, as well as Swiss SMEs, were able to present themselves successfully.
The pandemic has further changed the market for large-scale international projects, increasing the demand for innovative solutions for more sustainable development. With the "Office Infrastructure Projects" for 2022-2024, the Federal Council has decided to improve the access of the Swiss economy to significant foreign infrastructure projects. In addition to better networking of stakeholders, the first additional support measures in areas such as economic diplomacy, export risk insurance and financing and export promotion were initiated to complement the efforts of the private sector. The individual players, in particular the export promotion agency Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) and the export risk insurance agency SERV, but also specialized federal agencies, will continue to expand their activities in a coordinated and targeted manner together with interested associations. Scouting networks will be established in India, the Arab Emirates, South Africa, Indonesia, Brazil and the USA, among others, which will search for specific infrastructure projects and establish contact with project sponsors for the benefit of the Swiss industry.
With 1.4 billion inhabitants, high competencies in the field of cutting-edge technologies and a great demand in the infrastructure sector, the Indian market offers a great potential for the economic and scientific actors of Switzerland. The bilateral trade volume between the two countries was CHF 30.8 billion in 2021, making India Switzerland's second most important trading partner in Asia. One of India's significant projects is clean drinking water, with a focus on purifying the Ganga River.
Are you interested in bringing your environmental technologies to India? Then contact us at info@swissenviro.ch or get more information about your opportunities to join the SWISS Pavilion at IFAT India 2023 here.
