In the first half of 2008, the export of machine tools, robots and automations from Italy increased by an annual rate of 13.3%. Russia (+45%), Germany (+14.9%), China (+10.2%), the United States (+9.1%) and France (+6.5%) are the mature markets that registered the greatest increases, while main new outlet areas include Brazil (+152.2%) and Austria (+138.1%). India, seen in perspective, is an area of particular interest: the dynamics of Italy’s exports to India indicate a notable increase in the field of cutting edge technological products intended for the manufacturing industry and local infrastructures. Indian demand will be the subject of the next Imtex fair, scheduled for 22 to 28 January 2009 at Bangalore.

The Italian machine tool industry has, in spite of the global crisis, forecast a 5.3% growth (to 6.130 million Euros) for 2008 thanks to successful exports, which have increased by 6.2% to 3,295 million Euros. The Indian economy’s move to invest in better quality products and advanced technology can only be a good thing for Italian production: should the dynamics of the Asian country’s economic growth continue over the following months, there will be even better opportunities for Italy’s traditionally strong exporting technology industries and, in particular, for machine tools and metal processing used in many production industries.

The scene has to be set: the purpose of this first-time participation of Italian companies at Imtex, organized by ICE, the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade in collaboration with the trade association UCIMU is to make Italian technology better known to Indian operators (and associated markets). Imtex, organized by the Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association, will take place at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre. Imtex is the main Indian fair event dedicated to the industry of metal processing machinery. It will now become an annual event: dedicated to the removal industry in odd years and to the deformation industry in even years. Each edition will take place together with Tooltech (tools and components fair). The 2007 edition of Imtex attracted 1,187 exhibitors, 550 of which from 24 foreign countries including Italy, Germany, France, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Spain, China, South Korea, Japan and the United States. Around 130 thousand professionals attended the event.

The debut at the Indian fair confirmed an already formalized interest in the Indian market: in October 2007, UCIMU and ICE announced a project for training seventeen newly graduated Indian engineers, offering them the chance of a two-month or more apprenticeship, starting early that month, at Italian machine tool businesses. The “Indian Engineer Preparation” project aimed to train workers on how to operate in the production and commercial departments of Italian companies in India, an economy offering good prospects. According to the World Bank’s PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) classifications, India comes fourth in the world and second overall after China in terms of growth rate. The statistics reveal a constant growth of the Indian economy over the past four years averaging 8.8%, and a continual increase in commercial exchanges.