INDIA MAKES ITS MARK AT EMO HANNOVER 2025

As the global platform of EMO Hannover convened distinguished manufacturing players from around the world to discuss the future of manufacturing, India’s prominent presence stood out unmistakably. Through industry leadership, active participation, and cutting-edge innovations that reflect a maturing manufacturing ecosystem, India made a strong and memorable impression. 

The 50^th edition of EMO Hannover served as a lens for global players to witness India’s expanding capabilities and potential. With automation, AI, and advanced production taking center stage, the show became a useful mirror to understand where India stands and what the world expects from it.

Over five days, the world’s leading trade fair for production technology, once again justified its stature. With more than 80,000 trade visitors and over 1,600 exhibitors from 45 countries, the event showcased the direction in which global manufacturing is headed. Automation and artificial intelligence were the focal point of the show that reflected the industry’s search for solutions to combat rising costs and skilled-labor shortages while boosting productivity.

Robotics also took center stage, with nearly 140 robot manufacturers demonstrating the growing integration of robots into machine tool environments. This global transition toward smarter, more efficient manufacturing aptly aligned with India’s push for greater precision, higher productivity, and self-reliance, especially in sectors like Aerospace, Defence, Electric Vehicles, and Advanced Machining.

“There is a profusion of smart and impressive technical solutions. This EMO has convincingly demonstrated that,” said Carl Martin Welcker, General Commissioner, EMO 2025. “For them to be effective, the booster engine of investment now really needs to fire. Many projects are in the pipeline after three years of investment restraint, but the uncertainty in the political sphere continues to put the brakes on investment,” he added.

India Shines at EMO Hannover 2025

Organized by Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers' Association (IMTMA), VDMA India (Indian branch of the German Engineering Federation), and VDW (German Machine Tool Builders' Association), the ‘India Opportunities’ session, held at EMO Hannover 2025, highlighted the potential of the Indian market in terms of manufacturing and the avenues of stronger Indo-German cooperation.

The packed session, in the presence of Indian industry leaders, including  Mohini Kelkar, President, IMTMA; Vikram Salunkhe, Vice-President, IMTMA; Jibak Dasgupta, Director General & CEO, IMTMA and Bangalore International Exhibition Centre; and Rajesh Nath, Managing Director, VDMA India, made it evident that India has progressed from being a participant at EMO to an important part of the conversation on the future of manufacturing.

Kelkar deliberated on the pertinent topic of ‘Machine Tool Sector Driving India’s Manufacturing Growth’. “Ranking 4^th in global machine tool consumption and 9^th in production, India’s US$ 1.7 trillion infrastructure pipeline, along with its green-energy and EV ambitions, is creating unprecedented opportunities for advanced machine tools and manufacturing technologies,” she pointed out.

Devesh Tripathi, Sr AVP, Invest India, in his insightful presentation, spoke at length about India offering stable, long-term growth and opportunities.

The session also featured an insightful Panel Discussion, moderated by Nath, with eminent industry leaders deliberating on policies, skills, and strategies shaping India’s industrial future.

He initiated the session with a question: “Where would India stand among other emerging economies?” To this, Ravi Raghavan, Past President, IMTMA and Managing Director, Bharat Fritz Werner Ltd (BFW), responded, “India is a tough market. You need to give some time in the initial stage, and those who rush in too aggressively often miss the real growth curve.”

Government policy was another focal point. Ranganathan Balaji, President & COO, SONA BLW Precision Forgings Ltd, pointed to the Product-Linked Incentive PLI scheme as a catalyst.

Speaking of skill sets, Kelkar highlighted the crucial role of IMTMA in making engineers employable and industry-worthy through its finishing school.

Roland Merz, Senior Vice President (Sales), CHIRON Group SE, stressed the importance of “location for business, suitability of products, and networks” when entering India.

Similarly, on India expansion, Paul Koessl, Head of Business Development, United Machining Solutions, emphasized to “make a Capex decision not based on loans and price, but on the total cost of ownership (TCO) over the lifetime,” in addition to customer queries and localizing equipment in India.

Nath emphasized that India’s growth story is powered not just by strong numbers but by fundamentals—a stable, forward-looking government, clear policy frameworks, and a skilled workforce ready to support global manufacturing.

The Indo-German collaboration was stressed, with leaders on both sides highlighting it as a true gamechanger. “There is a market for it; India is a well-developed market, and we look forward to more investments coming from the Germans and European countries,” he stated. “As VDMA, we look forward to welcoming more members to India and supporting our members—let’s be part of India’s growth story.”

Giving an overview of the strong participation at the session, Dasgupta noted that it was highly successful and drew an overwhelming response. “It was a great session and a full house,” he remarked, highlighting the diverse mix of stakeholders from India, Germany, and across Europe who gathered to explore India’s growing role in global manufacturing.

An interesting light-hearted ‘Rapid-fire Round’ on Indo-German collaboration was surely the cynosure of the show.

IMTMA Leaders on EMO 2025

Sharing how EMO Hannover once again demonstrated why it remains the most comprehensive platform for the global manufacturing community, Kelkar noted, “EMO stands out because it brings the entire manufacturing ecosystem, including machine tools, additive manufacturing, digital production, software, automation, robotics and services, under one roof.” She stressed that the show does not isolate technologies but presents them as interconnected components of a progressive production chain.

She noted that the 50^th edition upheld its legacy of showcasing future-ready innovation: “AI, automation, and digitalization were central themes throughout the show, and the Startup Area was particularly exciting—it clearly reflected where new ideas are emerging.”

Salunke echoed this sentiment, highlighting that the emphasis this year was firmly on intelligent, efficiency-led manufacturing. “Even though the scale felt slightly smaller than before, the technological intensity was far higher,” he remarked. According to him, the quality of exhibits—especially AI-enabled systems, automation-led productivity solutions, and efficiency-focused technologies— compensated for the reduced footprint of mid-sized exhibitors.

Together, they underlined a shared belief that India’s own growth outlook is in perfect alignment with what EMO Hannover 2025 signalled, which is moving toward intelligent, connected, and collaborative manufacturing.

India Extends a Global Invitation to IMTEX 2027

During the ‘India Opportunities’ session at EMO Hannover 2025, IMTMA extended a formal invitation to the global industry for its flagship event IMTEX 2027, scheduled from January 21–27 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bangalore.

The IMTMA President highlighted India’s rapid rise as a manufacturing powerhouse. She emphasised the surge in precision manufacturing, the growing adoption of AI- and IoT-enabled machines, and India’s expanding capabilities in Aerospace, Defence, Biomedical, Semiconductor, and Electronics Manufacturing. “With the Indian Economy scaling new heights, new opportunities are being created in India for the world,” she remarked.

Kelkar warmly invited the international community to participate in IMTEX 2027, calling it South and Southeast Asia’s largest manufacturing technology showcase. “You are most welcome to visit, exhibit, and grow this exhibition further,” she said.

Reinforcing this message, Dasgupta, underscored India’s growing importance for global manufacturers and investors, adding that interest in IMTEX 2027 was already strong.

“We recently announced the IMTEX 2027 dates to the participants here,” he shared. “There were a lot of queries—underscoring the demand for IMTEX 2027.” IMTEX, hailed as South and Southeast Asia’s largest manufacturing technology exhibition, is set to bring together the latest in metalworking, metal cutting, machining, and digital solutions shaping the future.

Market Outlook at EMO Hannover 2025

EMO Hannover 2025 also served as a collaborative platform where leading machine tool associations—CECIMO (Europe), IMTMA (India), AMT (United States), and JMTBA (Japan)—came together to highlight the sector’s critical role in shaping the future of manufacturing. The session highlighted how, despite geopolitical uncertainties and economic challenges, the global machine tool industry continues to demonstrate resilience, innovation, and adaptability.

“Despite regional differences, we share common goals: creating a better business environment, expanding global markets, tackling skills shortages, and driving innovation through green and digital technologies,” highlighted François Duval, President, CECIMO.

Marcus Burton, Chairman, Economic Committee, CECIMO, presented key insights on the machine tool market that could not have been produced without strong cooperation among the national associations.

With regard to the Japanese Machine Tools sector, Kazuo Yuhara, President, Japan Machine Tool Builders’ Association (JMTBA), pointed out shifting demand patterns, “Domestic demand decreased by 7.4 percent compared to the previous years and overseas demand increased by 3.4 percent.”

Representing the United States, Douglas Woods, President, The Association for Manufacturing Technology (AMT), highlighted a rebound driven by Aerospace, Defence, reshoring-led manufacturing, and strong foreign investment, leading to an estimated 12 percent rise in domestic consumption in 2024 over 2023.

Dasgupta narrated India’s accelerating growth story by sharing that India’s real GDP grew 6.5 percent in FY 2024–25, reaching US$ 4.19 trillion in current prices, and is projected to sustain this pace through 2029. He described the remarkable growth of the Indian machine tool industry with a total consumption of US$ 3.7 billion in FY 2024–25. “The Automotive and Auto Component sector is currently the leading consumer, accounting for nearly 50 percent of the demand.”

This global outlook segment added depth to India’s message at EMO—positioning the country not only as an emerging manufacturing hub but also as an active participant in shaping the future of the Machine Tool industry.

Poonam Pednekar Chief Copy Editor Magic Wand Media Inc poonam.pednekar@magicwandmedia.in