IETF BACKGROUND

• The Indian Engineering & Technology Trade Fair's genesis can be traced back to 1975 when it was organized under the aegis of AIEl -Association of Indian Engineering Industry -as CII was the known. Held biennially, the fair grew with every event -in stature and in dimension, expanding to incorporate the entire gamut of industry activities. Dynamic in nature right from its very inception, each fair introduced a new concept, a new platform or initiated yet another medium of dialogue.
• At the 4th IETF (1981), major conferences on ADB Projects, Energy Conservation and Utilization of Renewable Sources of Energy, Engineering cooperation between Africa and Indian and industrial and technical cooperation between Developing countries were organized. The 5th IETF (1983) introduced the Technology Transfer show Window (TTSW) concept as an integral part of the fair, backed up by Seminars / lectures / Workshops led by specialists from the world over. With the introduction of the TTSW, the IETF, for the first time, was exposed to foreign technologies in what was other wise a purely Indian engineering exhibition. Visitors from all over the world attended this fair. The 6th IETF (1985) witnessed a further innovation of expansions of the TTSW with the introduction of the 'Partner Country' concept. This emerged as an offshoot of the Indian drive to establish presence in the world trade market, wherein a particular country with which we wished to establish greater trade interaction, was specifically invited to be a Partner in the IETF. This event was even better organized than its predecessor, in terms of visitors, publicity and exhibition services.
• Italy was the first Partner Country. 18 Italian companies occupied an area of some 100 sqmts. This was to be a modest beginning to the Partner Country concept, one which was to grow tremendously, in future IETFs.
• The 7th IETF (1987) coincided with the Congress of The International Chambers of Commerce, which was attended by 800 business leaders from all over the world. Canada was the Partner country this time and 18 conferences were organized in tandem. The IETF had already begun to be recognised as the forum for joint discussions on industry -across industries and across borders.
• The 8th IETF (1989) featured U.S.A. as the Partner country by which time AIEl was rechristened as CEI - Confederation of Engineering Industry. The change in name symbolized the growth of the industry association and was manifested in the fair too. A special feature 'New Products and Technologies' was the highlight of the fair. That USA was given Partner Country status meant that Indian would witness some of the most advanced technologies available in the world.
• CEI as well as IETF had truly arrived with the 9th IETF. Acclaimed unanimously as the best organised and best attended fair in India', IETF' 91 witnessed technologies into hitherto untapped areas. The standard of exhibitor and visitor services had progressed tremendously and a new feature was the daily supplement, which provided the show with an added fillip. UK was the Partner Country, which put a decisive seal on the fair's acceptability and relevance.
• Germany was the Partner country at the 10th IETF'93 with over 6,000 sqmts of space. The country put up a show that was the largest-ever display of German technology since TechnoGerman in 1988. The visit of the German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, in a sense symbolized the rise of German commitment for developmental funds to India, in the form of soft loans, technical aids and grants, which rose to DM 555 million in 1993.
• 1995 marked the CII's Centenary Year and Italy was the first to be accorded the prestigious Partner country status -for the second time. This follows the first that Italy established by being the first Partner Country, when the Partner Country concept was started in 1985 at the 6th IETF. Italy surpassed all previous Partner Countries by taking over 6400 sqmts of space. Italy -at the 11th IETF -was the largest ever Italian industrial exposition in Asia and was represented by almost all major Italian corporations, Indo-Italian joint ventures and Chambers of Commerce. The 11th IETF also saw the first ever inaugural, by two Heads of State -Dr Shankar DayalSharma, the Hon'ble President of India and Dr Oscar Luigi Scalfaro, the Hon'ble President of Italy.

• The 11th IETF was also an opportunity to use this extensive biennial platform, to promote high growth sectors of the Indian economy. Concurrent shows planned during the Fair, gained importance. The themes for these shows reflected the current Industry needs. The Environmenta'95 Show -for Environmental Protection; Encon'95 -Energy Conservation; Technology Platform'95 –Research & Development; Enterprise'95 -linkages with small industry. There was also Group participation by Telecommunications &Auto Components manufacturers.
• The 12th IETF in 1997 was special in many ways. It was the first time, an Asian Country 'Partnered' at IETF. Japan, as Partner Country, broke new records - with 150 companies displaying state-of-the-art technologies across an area of 10,000 sqmts.
• It was the first time that the IETF was being held after having acquired the UFI Certification, for conforming to the highest standards, with a proven record of international exhibitor and visitor facilities. The 12th IETF attracted participation from 34 countries. The fact that 12 of these were countries participating for the first time indicated a growing international repute for this premier industrial fair.
• Japan put together a series of seminars on various sectoral themes. These ranged from bilateral trade, automotive, industrial design to sunglasses, and information systems to laser cutting technology, among others. The 12th IETF was also used to promote Japanese culture in India -fashion shows, food festivals, film festivals, martial art demonstrations etc. There were new features and new concurrent shows associated with the 12th IETF. These included the 1stMicrotecnicIndia -India's first international show on production, measurement and quality control (jointly with Reed Exhibitions); Enterprise -an Exhibition on small enterprises, subcontracting & support services; and Encon / Environment - the complete Eco-Efficiency fair.
• The 13th IETF in 1999 hosted yet another Asian economic giant -Korea -as the Partner Country. Korea brought in a unique flavor to the IETF by having an exposition from each of its chaebols, or provinces, along with the best of Korean Industry represented through 150 companies spread over 6000 sqmts. The Prime Minister of Korea inaugurated the 13th IETF jointly with the Vice President of India. Over 1,000 Korean businessmen visited the event and Korea alone hosted more than 15 business delegations.
• Apart from Korea, IETF 99 played host to 850 overseas participants from 46 countries -a record for the IETF. With 9 country pavilions -and first time participation from 7 countries -the IETF grew from strength to strength. The trend of having specific sector fairs, which ran concurrently with the IETF, continued. Seven concurrent fairs were organized. These included Automechanika India '99 -an international fair for car workshop and service station equipment, auto spare parts and accessories, in collaboration with Messes Frankfurt, Germany; Clean tech Environment'99 –international exhibition focusing on cleaner process technologies, climate change technologies, environment management and renewable energy systems; Enterprise'99 -exclusive exposition for small enterprise, sub-contracting and support services; Indian Ocean Rim Trade Fair -an exhibition showcasing the best technology and products of the Indian Ocean Rim countries; Microtecnic India'99- international exhibition of production measurement and quality control equipment; Nasscom -MAIT-CII-IT Asia'99 - an international

• information technology show, bringing Infotech companies and IT user companies on the same platform; Weld India International '99 -first show on Welding Equipment & Technology; Exclusive Pavilion for Air-conditioning &Refrigeration Equipment and Office Equipment.
• The 13th IETF was attended by 48 business delegations from 31 countries and a total of 250,000 visitors.
• The first IETF in the new millennium, IETF 2001 -Indian Expo, was a truly focused B2B event, segmented into 9 well-defined sectors of the industry. The focused approach to specific areas of engineering, manufacturing and technology provided opportunities for strong sectoral synergies.
• The fair brought in participation from 35 countries representing a wide cross section of industry sectors. Besides India, the countries that brought their technologies included, Argentina, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mauritius, Mexico, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, Ukraine, USA and Venezuela.
• As partner country, Spain drew participation from 165 companies, with representation from the Automobile & allied industries, agricultural machinery, banks & financial services, electrical & electronic engineering, fluid handling equipment, foundry & metallurgy, hotel equipment, industrial robotics.
• Instrumentation & control, infrastructure and civil works, machine tools, accessories & parts, material handling, medical & hospital equipment, natural stones & tiles, power, railway & transportation, textile machinery, and telecom & information systems. Spain also brought in its rich and varied cultural heritage. Spanish Flamenco dancers, classical guitar and the toppings of food festival added to the flavor.
• The 15th IETF saw China as the Partner Country. Besides its rich cultural heritage China has emerged as one of the most rapidly developed nation in this part of the world. China as Partner Country brought in more than 70 companies covering an area of over 4000 sqmts. The sectors covered included engineering, contracting, technology and equipment, consumer electronics, automobiles, machine tools and telecommunication equipments.
• The sectors covered at the 15th IETF in 2003 included rural, urban and industrial water management, biotechnology, air-conditioning, refrigeration, heating and ventilation, automotive aftermarket & services, technology and innovation, railway equipment. Besides this The 2nd India Infrastructure show was also introduced encompassing roads & highways, ports & shipping, airports & aviation, capital goods, construction, railways, logistics, power&non conventional energy, water, rural infrastructure, urban infrastructure & housing and telecom.
• At the 16th IETF 2005 South Africa was the Partner Country with over 5000 sqmts of area with participation from over 75 companies.
• At the 17th IETF 2007, Japan was the Partner Country with over 5000 sqmts and was attended by nearly 55,000 business visitors including government and business delegates from 24 countries.
• The 18th International Engineering & Technology Fair (IETF 2009) was held from 23rd to 26th February, 2009 at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), a world class exhibition and conference facility in Bengaluru, India.
• Republic of South Africa participated at the IETF 2009 as Partner Country and showcased a variety of industry segments from South Africa, with around 100 companies covering an area of 5000 sqmts of indoor space.
• The 19th International Engineering & Technology Fair (IETF 2011) was held from 10-12 February, 2011 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
• IETF 2011 covered an area of about 25,000 sqmts, with special focus on the following key areas of the industry, as concurrent shows/ pavilions:

• IETF is strongly supported by the Government of the host country and the participating countries, besides active participation and cooperation from the relevant industry associations in India and abroad.
• 20th edition of IETF 2013, Korea was the Partner Country with over 5000 sqm area with participation from over 350 companies.
• 21st edition of IETF had Japan as Partner Country with over 5000 sq meters area. The event witnessed 300 exhibitors from 12 countries and exhibits covering an area of over 25,000 sq meters, the mega event was hailed as a timely initiative that would benefit the Indian industry in its effort to bring product quality, systems, and competitiveness at par with international standards and immensely help the ‘Make in India’ campaign of the government to attract overseas investors.
• The 22nd IETF 2017, once again proved its strength as a unique platform for entrepreneurs, businesses, policy makers, & innovators to come together on a common platform to showcase their products & services & push Indian Industry to the next level of growth.
• The event witnessed participation of more than 500 companies from 25 countries as exhibitors covering 40,000 Sqm of exhibition space& attracted more than 30,000 visitors. Alongside, the event, there were more than 25 conferences, seminars & workshops held during the event.
• The event was a grand success & was well received by the industry.
• The Minister of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Government of India, Shri AnantGeete, inaugurated IETF 2017 in a ceremony attended by top industry leaders & stakeholders from various sectors.
• As a part of its commitment to continue as one of the most important strategic partners of India’s economic resurgence, Japan participated as the Partner Country at 22nd IETF 2017 scheduled from 2-4 February, 2017 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi for the record fifth time. As many as 40 Japanese companies put up a large display of latest Japanese & technology in IT & Gaming sectors in an exclusive pavilion. Over 240 B2B Meetings were conducted over three days.
• IETF 2017, an action packed mega event was unique in its nature & content. For the first time, three concurrent events – Health Tech India, India Gaming Show & Knowledge Expo – were organized as a part of the event – enabling technological & knowledge convergence on a single platform.
• The expo focused on future technologies for eight industrial sectors includes Green Mobility, Industrial Automation, Logistics, Metal & Metallurgy, Real Estate & Building Technology, Water, Waste & Recycling and Welding & Joining Technology.
• The 22nd edition was unique in the sense that it was supported by the Delhi Government & Eleven Line Ministries of Government of India – Ayush, Coal, Electronics & Information Technology, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Health & Family Welfare, Renewable Energy, Petroleum & Natural Gas, Road Transport & Highways, Steel, and Urban Development.

SNAPSHOTS 2019

• The 23rd edition of International Engineering & Technology Fair (IETF), Confederation of Indian Industry’s flagship event showcased latest technologies, innovations, trends and products across industry segments under one roof, was successfully organised from February 3 to 5, 2019 in New Delhi. This edition of IETF saw three concurrent shows -- Health Tech India, India Gaming Show and AI India Expo - being organised with the show
• IETF 2019 underscored CII’s keenness to catalyse the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and promote development of intelligent systems that can be deployed to solve a variety of issues that the country faces as it braces itself for Industry 4.0. The list of countries participating in IETF also included USA, Finland, Israel, Philippines, Ethiopia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Canada, Denmark, Iraq, Nepal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, El Salvador,Ethiopia, Sudan, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, UK, South Africa, and Tunisia, among others.
• Special focus on technologies driven by AI for manufacturing, healthcare and environment.
• Display of innovation and technology-driven automation including industrial robots.
• Among many countries, Finland, Italy, and Germany brought the best of their country to the show.
• Live demos, dedicated networking opportunities, start-up incubators, B2B meetings and informative sessions formed integral part of IETF 2019.
• Start Up Zones offering smart and intelligent solutions for manufacturing and services.
• Government of India’s programme of promoting Geographic Indicators (GI) registered product got a major boost at IETF. The stall of GI registered products, supported by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, attracted huge attention
• Sector specific conferences on wide ranging and relevant subjects organised, where experts deliberated upon new ideas and gave their unique perspectives on how organisations can integrate innovations as part of their transformation journey.
• Eminent personalities and key decision makers like ace cricketer Sachin Tendulkar; Union Minister Jitendra Singh; Chaudhary Birender Singh, Minister of Steel, Government of India; Dr Indu Bhushan, CEO, Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY) and National Health Authority (NHA); Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India; Lav Agarwal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; Dr Amita Prasad, Director General, National Productivity Council & Additional Secretary, Government of India were many others who participated at the mega event