February 14, 2013: Michael Johannes, VP, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition Gmbh

Do you find the first ACMA Automechanika comparable with the international show?
We are very proud to have organised this first ACMA Automechanika at Delhi. We had a lot of visitors on day 1 as well as business people as Automechanika is the main brand in the aftermarket and is a B2B platform. We think there is a lot more potential, especially in the Indian automotive component industry. We offer Indian companies a platform to international markets.

Some of the big names are not here though. . .
You will find big players like Delphi and ZF but this is the first India show. If you are in the exhibition industry, then you know that many people as well as potential exhibitors will look at the overall organisation and visitor profile. Many big companies are keen to come for the next edition. So I think we can grow the show tremendously.

Do you think that the infrastructure has lived up to the demands of the show?
Infrastructure could have been better in terms of organising the different product groups. For example, not only in repair and maintenance but also parts and systems, IT systems management and garage equipment. Therefore, we need more space. Overall, I am happy to do the first show here. We got the right dates and were here at the beginning of the year. We had asked for more space but could not get it or we could have accommodated another 100 international companies who wished to participate. In 2015, I am quite sure that we can get more space.

Any new product category that you may consider for the 2015 show?
We are looking at what is happening in e-mobility concepts worldwide. In 2012 at Frankfurt, we had for the first time a special section on it. Whether we have one here in the future depends on how fast this area is developing in India.

In which areas do you think the Indian component industry could improve further?
The Indian component industry has improved substantially over the last five years but there is some way to go, especially in terms of quality. I think it should try and sell its products in other global markets. I would mention South Africa and Russia in this context and there is potential in China even though there is a lot of competition there. I think Indians should have enough self-confidence about their products to go in for exports. On the other hand, Europe’s national market is so big that companies can easily improve their business here in India.

Any specific initiatives in quality?
What they can do is better marketing and get more contacts in different countries because the business is done by people. Price and quality is one thing but you also have to have trust. So, if Indian companies increasingly go abroad and make more international contacts, people will learn that Indian products have quality and can compete price-wise with other countries.

Is Messe Frankfurt helping them in terms of outsourcing of parts?
What we can do is to make sure they get space at our shows and let them know what they could do and, of course, we are service providers. It is not only about Indian companies but other countries as well. We would like to bring together national and international customers together and provide a platform.