• He was present alongwith Vikram Makar, Chairman IRE 2019, at the inauguration of the 3 day India Rubber Expo 2019
Mumbai: The Union Minister for Commerce, Industry and Civil Aviation Shri Suresh Prabhu, inaugurated the 3-day India Rubber Expo 2019 on 17th January, 2019, held at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre. “The Rubber Industry is the “Trigger” of economic growth in India and the Indian industry has made positive strides which have impacted several important global markets”, said Suresh Prabhu.
The prominent dignitaries at the inauguration ceremony included: Chief Guest Vipul Shah (Chief Operating Officer, Petrochemicals Reliance India Limited), Guest of Honour Tinku Roy (Chairman, Tripura Industrial Development Corporation) and KM Phillip awardee Arvind Poddar (CMD, BKT Industries).
The India Rubber Expo, 2019 organised by the All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA) was the largest of its kind in Asia and has set a global precedent with representatives from 50 countries, hosting 360+ stalls from across the rubber industry. The 3-day expo & conference, under the dynamic leadership of Vikram Makar, Chairman IRE 2019, President AIRIA and CMD Oriental Rubber Industries and Chief Convenor IRE 2019, Vishnu Bhimrajka, in its 10th year has more than doubled in size compared to the previous Expo held in 2017 at Chennai.
This Marquee event spanned over 27000 sqm at Bombay Exhibition Center is a valuable platform for growth, exchange and collaboration. It has grown from a mere 3,000 square meters in 2001 to a whopping 27,000 square meters in 2019, with more than 27k visitor footfalls.
The honourable union minister laid emphasis that “India is one of the most sought-after countries suitable for making business investments and partnerships. We now need to consolidate our gains and make India into a US$ 5-trillion economy – for which I have already prepared a plan. In fact, 20% of this amount comes from manufacturing, and I will try to see that the rubber industry contributes to this in a good measure.”
In his inaugural speech, Vikram Makar described the rubber industry as the lifeguard of all industries where virtually no industry would be functioning without products made of rubber. “Rubber is creating greater opportunities for all other industries. On the other hand, globalization has been unprecedented, compelling for businesses across India and against this backdrop, the Indian Rubber Expos 2019 organized by AIRIA is a unique platform for the rubber fraternity in India and overseas.”
“IRE 2019 has set an example for the world that the Indian Rubber Industry is poised for the next big leap in technology, innovation and rising opportunities in the domestic and global markets. Emerging with resurgent popularity over the years, the All India Rubber Industries Association (AIRIA) has endeavoured to make this 360-degrees-expo for excellence of the rubber sector by trying to take this from the national to the international level and setting a new normal.” said Makar. “With raw material suppliers investing, all rubber machinery parts displayed at the venue, all technologists from the world present and workshops run by global experts, IRE 2019 will truly become the kick-starter for the ‘Renaissance’ of the Indian Rubber Industry”, he added.
Makar emphasized that important sectors like Defence, Infrastructure and Aerospace required immense amount of localization as India is still heavily investing in these sectors and procuring technology and equipment that need Quality Rubber Components to succeed in the ‘Self Reliance through Indigenization’ program.
A technocrat with experience of over 25 years in the rubber industry, Makar has undergone training with prestigious companies, including Siempelkamp in West Germany. With a proven track record in the rubber industry, he has vast experience in project execution, equipment selection and modernisation with technical competence in process and compounding and expertise in production and procurement functions. Makar is a third generation entrepreneur and under his leadership Oriental Rubber Industries, celebrating its 70th year, has emerged as one of the largest manufacturers of conveyor belts in India and also having a manufacturing plant in South Africa – truly an example of an Indian multinational from the rubber industry.
The IRE 2019 saw widespread participation of countries including China, Korea, Japan and Europe. The event hosted an exclusive rubber conference, workshops, and reverse buyer-seller meet to maximize industry potential, and brought together the finest minds in the industry, policy makers, SMEs, buyers, sellers, and global giants of the rubber industry, under the dynamic leadership of Makar.
Pic Captions :
Union Minister for Commerce, Industry and Civil Aviation Shri Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the 3-day India Rubber Expo 2019 on 17th January, 2019, held at the Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Seen in the pic :
Vikram Makar, Chairman IRE 2019, President AIRIA and CMD Oriental Rubber Industries addressing the expo.