IMTEX FORMING 2026 PRE-EVENT PRESS CONFERENCE in Ahmedabad

Forming Momentum Begins

The first Pan-India pre-show press conference for IMTEX FORMING 2026 unfolded in Ahmedabad on November 14, 2025, setting in motion a nationwide series of industry interactions that will continue across eight other major Indian cities up till January 7, 2026. Each event aims to build excitement around Asia’s largest metal forming technology exhibition, scheduled from January 21-25, 2026, at BIEC, Bengaluru.

Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA), the organizer of IMTEX FORMING 2026 scheduled for January 21-25, 2026, at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru, launched its first pan-India pre-event press meet in Ahmedabad. Part of a 9-city tour, it will encompass Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Coimbatore, and Bengaluru, represented by IMTMA dignitaries and the Secretariat Representative.

Setting a confident start to India’s Largest Metal Forming showcase, the first city press meet in Ahmedabad, equipped with its manufacturing ecosystem, offered the ideal backdrop as IMTMA leaders went on to outline how IMTEX FORMING 2026 will bring together technology, talent, investment, and global collaboration on an unprecedented scale. It provided insight into the fast-evolving metal forming industry in India, from market perceptions and industry trends to emerging technologies and innovation showcases.

India’s Manufacturing Backbone

Delivering the opening note, Jibak Dasgupta, Director General & CEO, IMTMA, shared with the audience the larger significance of the industry. “Machine tools,” he said, “is the backbone of manufacturing—every shop floor depends on them, whether you’re building cars, aircraft parts, medical devices, or construction machinery.” He noted with pride that India ranks among the world’s top machine-tool-producing nations, “one of the few countries that not only consumes but also manufactures machine tools at scale.”

The IMTMA DG & CEO emphasized that India’s machine tool ecosystem is rare in its dual strength as both a large-scale producer and a large-scale consumer, driven by diverse industrial clusters spread across the country. IMTMA, he added, has been instrumental in advancing technology and skills. He highlighted how IMTEX FORMING 2026 will spotlight key emerging technologies: fiber laser systems, servo presses, precision levelers, welding technologies, digital production monitoring systems, 3D printing solutions, and more. “These technologies are not merely incremental upgrades,” Dasgupta explained. “Rather, it represents the next phase of competitiveness and solutions that help us manufacture faster, cleaner, and smarter. IMTEX FORMING 2026 will accelerate the adoption of homegrown products and technologies and strengthen India’s export capability.”

Metal Forming at an Inflection Point

The session’s core industrial perspective came from Rajendra Rajamane, Past President, IMTMA, who delivered a panoramic overview of India’s machine tool and forming sector. Calling machine tools “the mother machines where manufacturing truly begins,” he reminded the audience that both cutting and forming technologies underpin India’s industrial competitiveness.

Rajamane, in his presentation, shared that metal forming currently accounts for 29 percent of the Indian machine tool market, with consumption in FY25 at INR 9,139 crore, production at INR 2,696 crore, and exports rising to around 6 percent year-on-year. Presses remain the top export category, followed by press brakes, bending machines, and shearing systems. He emphasized that India is defying the global slowdown, experiencing strong domestic demand with 15 percent growth in machine tool consumption, 9 percent growth in production, and rapid expansion of forming technologies across automotive, EVs, and heavy engineering.

The IMTMA Past President said, “Metal forming is at a powerful inflection point. While global markets cool, India is bucking the trend. Our consumption has risen sharply—53 percent last year—driven by large-scale capex in EVs, construction equipment, and infrastructure sectors. This momentum will continue.” Rajamane noted that foreign companies establishing operations in India reflect “a clear vote of confidence in the country’s manufacturing capability and long-term market attractiveness.” IMTEX FORMING 2026, he said, would be the platform where these forces—technology, investment, and industry collaboration—would converge.

Powering India’s Manufacturing Edge

Adding an industry leader’s perspective, T K Ramesh, Managing Director, ACE Designers Ltd, spoke candidly about why IMTEX continues to matter. “IMTEX gives us a chance to evaluate technologies, meet global players, and understand where we stand and how we can get better,” he stated, describing the exhibition. “It’s a global platform at par with IMTS, EMO, and JIMTOF—an event that helps us benchmark ourselves against the best in the world.”

He noted that India’s rise as an exporter of cars, motorcycles, and precision components “is rooted in the strength of the machine tool ecosystem.” Describing IMTEX as a force multiplier for self-reliance and urging more people to come into manufacturing, he commented, “Technology exchange strengthens supply chains and ensures continuity, and a greater number of students, MSMEs, and policymakers need to engage with manufacturing firsthand.”

The ACE Designers’ MD also placed strong emphasis on digital adoption, stating, “Digitization—from predictive maintenance and productivity monitoring to advanced CNC programming and AI-driven efficiency—is a step-by-step transformation. It changes how we design, build, monitor, and maintain machines.”

The Future of Forming at Scale

Providing a detailed overview, Guru Prasath, Executive Director, IMTMA, described the upcoming edition, which “has grown with the industry,” as “our largest-ever showing in the five-decade history of IMTEX.” He shared with the attendees that the 2026 event will feature 46,000 sqmt of exhibition space, 600+ exhibitors, and 22 participating countries, with strong group participation from Germany, Italy, Japan, and Taiwan. Prasath highlighted the event’s comprehensive scope, pointing out that visitors can expect technologies “from presses and sheet-metal solutions to laser systems, digital manufacturing & Industry 4.0, additive manufacturing, welding, molding, and fastening under one roof.”

The IMTMA ED also emphasized the strengthened ecosystem of concurrent shows like Tooltech, Digital Manufacturing, Weldexpo, Moldex India, and Fastenex India, in addition to knowledge platforms such as the International Seminar on Forming Technology and the popular i2 Academia Square, which he described as “a vibrant bridge between engineering education and industry expectations.”

Reflecting on IMTEX FORMING’s momentum, Prasath noted, “The growth of this exhibition mirrors the growth of Indian manufacturing.” With record participation, deeper international engagement, and a complete spectrum of forming technologies, IMTEX FORMING 2026, he assured, “is set to showcase the future of engineering on a truly global scale.”