Virtual Engineering Export Exhibitions Replace Traditional Expos for EEPC India, Webinars Replace Face to Face Meets

Braving the post Covid-19 challenges of global trade, EEPC India - the apex organisation of engineering exporters, has adopted technology-driven platforms to reach out to overseas buyers, moving to virtual exhibitions, devising e-catalogues and holding buyer-seller meets online, the council Chairman Mr Mahesh Desai said, expressing confidence that the engineering products would continue to contribute the most in the country's total merchandise export basket.

''Engineering exports contribute more than one-fourth of the country's merchandise exports. One of the distinguishing features of our functioning has been to organise product-specific, country and region-specific exhibitions all over the world. However, after the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic and international travel coming to a near halt, new ways had to be adopted to reach out to our customers. We were quick enough to adapt the digital outreach, providing platforms to a large number of small and medium exporters to connect again with the potential buyers, " Mr Desai said in a statement.

He said major virtual exhibitions are lined up for September and the next few months, with the support of the government. These include India Subcontracting Expo on virtual platforms with a special focus on buyers from European Union and UK and Precision Engineering Virtual Expo , aimed at buyers from the US and Canada. i Smart Expo with a focus on East Africa has already been concluded with encouraging response.

Besides the expo, the EEPC India has also been vigorously promoting e-catalogues of engineering products from the country. The E-Store and Digital Catalogue is an officially endorsed directory, developed by EEPC India with support from India Brand Equity Foundation, under the ‘Brand India Engineering’ Initiative of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

While engineering exports bounced back, registering 9 per cent growth in July, the shipments have suffered in the fiscal 2020-21 under the impact of Covid 19 outbreak. Cumulative engineering exports during the first four months of 2020-21 were at USD 20.15 billion as against USD 25.72 billion during the same period last fiscal, registering a decline of 21.68 percent. Share of engineering in total merchandise exports was 27.12 percent in July 2020.