The latest Italian technologies for producing components for cars have taken India by storm. This huge country is experiencing continuous expansion as a market for importation and mechanical production. At the MDA India Trade Fair, which will be held in Mumbai from 10 to 13 December, the leading Italian companies in the sector of vehicle parts manufacturing will present new technologies to deal with the considerable demand for bringing local industry up to date and for the international market. Once again, this year ICE (the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade) is organizing a collective of 24 business concerns, of which 14 are supported by "ASSIST", the service company jointly established by Confindustria (the General Confederation of Italian Industry) and Bergamo Chamber of Commerce. The demand for mechanical components in India has such great potential for development that it is possible to predict an annual growth rate of 20% for the next 5 years in the sectors of oleohydraulics and pneumatics, transmission systems and gears. The first edition of MDA India, organized by Hannover Messe, took place in 2007 and was a great success, featuring 222 exhibitors from 18 countries and bringing 9,247 visitors from the trade to the exhibition.

The automobile component-producing companies that will be participating in the fair are some of the jewels in the crown of Italian manufacturing industry. Italian cars are appreciated throughout the world thanks to the recent international successes of the Fiat group, and to the luxury car sector represented by marques such as Ferrari and Maserati. Paving the way to these successes are the component manufacturers, which complete the automobile production chain. In Italy, the structure of the small- and medium- sized companies that are involved in the production of components for automobiles is maintaining its positive trend, in spite of the fact that automobile manufacture in all industrialized nations is suffering as a result of the distinct economic slump. Italian companies divide their business into the supply of components to automobile manufacturers and the distribution of the components themselves under the form of spare parts for the aftermarket and for assistance to vehicles already circulating. The aftermarket, in particular, can count on decidedly positive figures, also because during periods of crisis, cars are replaced less often and repaired more. The more than three thousand Italian companies involved in the sector (data from ANFIA 2008) recorded net profits of more than 6 billion euro in the last year, with a turnover of 46.8 billion euro. Added to this is 16.04 billion from allied industries and a quota of investment in research and development equal to around 2 billion euro a year. The Italian companies of the sector employ 275,000 workers directly and almost a million indirectly; they are the chief source of private investment in research and development and among the leading providers of employment in Italy. Also significant is the percentage of exports, which amount to approximately 30% of total production. Despite the general downturn in the market, this percentage showed a slight increase during 2006 and 2007 and remained stable in 2008, demonstrating the appreciation for the Italian automobile component-producing sector around the world, thanks to continuous attention to the product and commitment to technological innovation.