Busworld India postponed to October 2020

Busworld India 2020 has been rescheduled to October 2020. The exhibition was supposed to take place in August at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) in Bengaluru. New dates are: 6 – 8 October 2020 at the same venue. This year, for the first time, Busworld India will be organized by Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India. At 2018 edition of Busworld India it was reported that India bus industry makes over 50,000 buses and coaches every year

Busworld India 2020 postponed due to pandemic

Taking into account the caution advisories in the current situation and aiding ease of business for the Bus & Coach sector, the 2020 edition of Busworld India (the ninth in the series) has been pushed ahead until October to ensure that the industry can brace itself for an effective business comeback.

World-over, the corporate sector is working around undefined parameters, which can make it challenging for exhibitors and visitors to travel and attend business normally in the months following the lockdown, Busworld organizers points out. After close consultations with exhibitors and industry associations who were strongly in favour of the postponement, the organisers felt that this is the best and responsible course of action for the industry, which will also give exhibitors time to plan their participation more effectively.

Busworld India 2020, safety on top

A joint statement issued by Busworld and Messe Frankfurt India stated: “As organisers, we want to ensure that the event optimally serves its objectives, when the industry can unreservedly come together for knowledge and tech-exchange. We have been in constant dialogue with industry players who are strongly in favour of this decision. The environment has to be conducive for business – and more importantly for the health of our exhibitors, visitors, employees and all stakeholders.”

Busworld across the continents

Starting its journey in 1971 in Kortrijk – moving to Brussels in 2019 –, Busworld has gone worldwide with several exhibitions covering all continents in Turkey, India, Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Indonesia and Colombia. With almost 50 years of experience, it is today the oldest, biggest and most famous bus and coach exhibition. In India, Busworld made its debut in 2005 and with its consistent growth pace, has carved a niche as the most recognized international exhibition exclusively for the bus and coach industry.

The growing opportunities in the country have also led to a sharp growth for the Busworld fair that has doubled the number of visitors in India and grown in space. Its latest edition in 2018 played host to over 115 exhibitors from 11 countries and 8,000 visitors. Under the umbrella of Messe Frankfurt’s mobility events, the first Busworld India will take place in Bengaluru from the 27 – 29 August 2020.

India and bus electrification. Lot of room for adoption

India is on an ambitious journey to electrify 30% of its vehicle fleets by 2030 as proposed by government think tank NITI Aayog. The Indian government is exploring new ways to switch to electric vehicles with a number of initiatives being implemented. Testing of operational feasibility of electric buses, cars, two-wheelers, rickshaws, taxis and goods vehicles, are already making in-roads.

Buses are one of the leading segments driving this change, with the most aggressive efforts from stakeholders seen in terms of successful electrification, since the first electric bus trial started in Bangalore in 2014. The central government in India is working with state transport departments for the deployment of 5,000 electric buses.

«With over 70,000 buses above 6 tonne sold in 2017, the Indian bus market represents a significant portion of the 430,000 buses above 6 tonne sold globally. If only a small percentage of these were to be electric, it could easily become the second largest market behind China» highlighted research company Interact Analysis in 2018.

The opportunities of Indian market

Mr Vincent Dewaele, International Business Development Manager shared: “With some of the world’s leading mobility shows, Messe Frankfurt demonstrates the right model to be a preferred partner for us in India. We see a lot of opportunities for the growth of this sector and are sure that with our global reach and Messe Frankfurt’s regional expertise, it will be an ideal combination that can turn into a new growth phase for Busworld and its stakeholders globally.”

Mr Marzin/Raj confirmed: “Businesses have to transform to meet the new market imperative. The Indian economy has already seen transport move up the public agenda and focusing on this niche segment and business interests of our stakeholders, Busworld will prove to be an excellent addition to our mobility portfolio. With this, Messe Frankfurt now has fairs covering automotive technologies, auto components, OEM manufacturing and aftermarket in one of the world’s largest automotive markets, India.”