West Midlands businesses urged to attend India exhibition

Jun 11 2009 by John Cranage, Birmingham Post

Businesses in the West Midlands are being urged to explore new and growing overseas markets in the automotive sector by attending a key exhibition in India early next year.

With many companies battling for new markets in the teeth of one of the worst recessions in history, the region is expected to make up a strong part of the UK delegation at Auto Expo, Delhi in January. The West Midlands is recognised as having the largest concentration of automotive-related companies in the country which between them represent nearly 30 per cent of output.

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCI), together with regional development agency Advantage West Midlands (AWM) and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), is organising a briefing to discuss the opportunities and support available for West Midlands companies wishing to attend the event.

Research published earlier this week showed Indians were the second most prolific foreign investors in West Midlands businesses last year behind US residents, with Tata Motors, the Mumbai-based owner of Jaguar Land Rover, among those to invest in the region.

Jonathan Webber, director of international trade at the BCI, said: “Auto Expo is the focal point for the Indian and wider Asia automotive industry.

“We have an excellent opportunity for the region to showcase its world-class, low carbon technology expertise, our wider automotive supply chain capabilities and the strength in depth of our R&D involving the region’s universities and other academia.

“It’s an exhibition that attracts over 9,000 participants and 100,000 business visitors from across the world.”

The event will take place at The Arup Campus on the Blythe Valley Business Park, in Solihull, on Friday, June 26.

The UK delegation at Auto Expo will be led by the SMMT, which is putting the focus of its efforts to drum up business on low carbon technologies.

The West Midlands will have dedicated exhibition space and a series of parallel seminars, 121 business appointments and high level networking events promoting the region and its opportunities.

Mr Webber also praised AWM for supporting a regional presence in Delhi, and said: “This will be a major event.

“It’s very good to have a committed partnership of organisations like AWM and the Birmingham Chamber and I very much hope that West Midlands business will take every advantage of the opportunity.”

The Birmingham Post revealed yesterday that Indian residents invested in UK firms 49 times last year, including five from the West Midlands. It was only the second time that an Eastern country had invested in the UK more often than France and Germany.