India, partner country at Hannover fair

India, as a partner country, is setting up an India pavilion and a 360 degree display of technology and innovations in the Hannover Fair 2006 slated to be held from April 24-28 in Germany.

The India pavilion will be one of the largest exposures ever to the country's technological advances and prowess. Spread over an area of over a lakh square feet, it will be surrounded by all important subcontracting, pipeline technology and process automation shows.

Highlighting the importance of the fair and India's representation in the fair, Engineering Export Promotion Council Regional Director Ganeshan told the Mysore Chamber of Commerce & Industry, the council will organise a few sector-specific seminars to be addressed by top industrialists and government officials from India and Germany at the fair.

The fair is easily the most important technology event on Earth, comprising nine highly specialised trade shows, seminar and special events.

India has been invited to be a partner country for the 2006 event, recognising its increasing importance in the global arena.

The privileges of a partner country are special. Russia, the partner country in the 2005 fair, had closed deals worth billions of Euros during the event. This was possible because of the display of its technological strength, he said.

The total trade between India and Germany was over $5.43 billion in 2003-04. This does not represent the true potential for trade India and Germany, which, Ganeshan said is enormous.

Indian exports of principal commodities to Germany was Merely $3.39 billion in 2004, representing just about 0.47 per cent of Germany's total import trade, making it the 33rd largest trading partner with respect to imports.

In machinery categories, both electrical and mechanical, seem to dominate Germany's imports from India. It accounts for $549.72 million, reflecting a trend towards sourcing sophisticated, technological-advanced product from India.

The major products exported from India were electrical machinery, which rose from $148 million in 2002 to $282 million in 2004, machinery, which recorded a growth to $267 million from $160 million, vehicles ($38 mn in 2002 -$88 mn in 2004), ironosteel products ($32 mn - $75 mn), iron and steel ($13 mn - $67 mn), optic NT 8544 ($28 mn - $59 mn), aircraft, spacecraft ($3 mn - $16 mn), aluminium ($9 mn - 14 mn), copper, nickle and zinc articles, lead and railway signal equipment.