First organised in 1998 by TAGMA (Tool and Gauge Manufacturers Association – India), today the exhibition has grown and is known to be one of the most sought after platform for the die mould industry. The 10th edition of DIE & MOULD INDIA INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION which is schedule between 06-09, April, 2016 at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC)Bangalore.

The previous edition was inaugurated by Eminent Aerospace scientist and former President of India, Lt Dr APJ Abdul Kalam with his aptly chosen keynote address titled ‘A Vibrant Die and Mould Industry for an Economically Developed Nation. His Excellency, highlighted the importance and necessity to grow this vital mother industry, which largely contributes to a successful manufacturing economy of a country.

Take a look at previous edition of Die Mould India 

With the regular participation of leading brands who showcase their latest proven technologies and visitors like CEOs, Consultants, Decision Makers, DMI is today known to be a one-stop shop for the die mould professionals. The previous edition of the DMI witnessed some of the well known companies such as DMG MORI SEIKI, Makino, ACE Manufacturing, Jyoti CNC, TaeguTec, DIJET, Geometric, Sodick, Agie Charmilles, GW Precision, Misumi, Renishaw, Mitutoyo, Korloy, Godrej and Francis Klein among others as exhibitors.

Exhibit range of the show includes Dies & Moulds, Press Tools, Mould base & standard parts of Dies & Moulds, Hot Runner System, Tool Steel, Heat Treatment, Texturizing, Gauges, CAD/CAM system related to Dies & Moulds, Die Spotting, Digitizing, Additive Manufacturing/ 3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping & Modeling, Machine Tools for Dies & Moulds, CNC Milling/Machining Centre, EDM, etc. Moulding machine/ Die Casting machine, Accessories for Machine Tools, Die/moulding polishing machines, Cutting Tools, Measuring Machines, All materials, equipments, accessories & services covering Die & Mould industry.

The Centre has asked the industry to avail of the benefits of the recently launched Capital Goods Scheme which would help in acquiring or developing new technology. Speaking at the inauguration of a workshop in Mumbai today, Union Minister for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Shri Anant Geete expressed concern over increasing imports of Capital Goods. He said the technology gap between the developed countries and developing countries is widening in the Capital Goods Sector. The workshop on “Technology Development for Capital Goods: Constraints and the Way Forward,” was jointly organized by the Department of Heavy Industries and FICCI.

The Minister said “the technological capabilities of large number of players, especially in the SME sector, are limited in India and as a result India has become one of the largest importers of capital goods in the world. This has adversely affected the indigenous capital goods industry and we want to change this now” he added.

Shri Geete informed that his Ministry is committed to bring ‘Achche Din’ for the Capital Goods Sector and informed that his Department would set up Technology Adoption Fund to promote Research and Development in the industrial sector.

The Capital Goods Scheme launched under the Make in India initiative of Government of India provides support to the industry to acquire technology, set-up technology development centres in collaboration with Institutes, and create common infrastructure for the capital goods industry. A unique component of the scheme is technology acquisition fund where government is giving support upto 25 per cent of the cost of technology subject to the limit of Rs. 10 crore.

The Capital Goods Scheme is expected to be particularly helpful for the industry in Maharashtra as a large number engineering and capital goods clusters covering textiles machinery, machine tools, plastic machinery and engineering products are located in the state.

Shri Divakar Raote, Maharashtra Minister for Transport, Dr. Rajan S. Katoch, Secretary, Department of Heavy Industries, were also present on the occasion.

What are the latest trends and demand in die mould industry?
Die mould industry is the back bone of every industry; its demand will not diminish or reduce. It will increase as the manufacturing industry grows. No one can manufacture anything without the help of die mould.  One needs to understand the fundamental of die mould first. What die mould industry does? They convert imaginative design into a real part.

Automobile industry has witnessed a slowdown, how much has it affected the industry?
I am the owner of a die mould company which is fairly known in the country. It has not affected me for the last two years. Whenever there is a fall in demand, people sit down and think what went wrong and then they go for renovation. So for any kind of renovation, new product development, new investment die mould companies get work. Probably the amount of work is less which might have affected some businesses but not everyone.

Today the die mould industry is more than Rs 20,000 crore, but import constitutes 50% or more than that, so where is the question of getting less work? In fact the tool room industry got a better chance because the import cost has gone up. So the Indian companies should get more opportunities.

What are the other emerging sectors for die mould industry?
Die mould industry is not only dependent on automotive industry, there are so many other industries who are creating good demand for the die mould manufacturers, like electronics, white goods, pharma and consumer durables among others.

Almost every manufacturer needs die mould, without tool room they cannot do anything, right from a tooth pick manufacturer to someone from aerospace industry, every product you touch is made in a tool room. It’s the mother of all industries; whatever you touch in your daily life has been touched in a tool room.

The technology level as compared to the western and Japanese counter parts…
All the technology that we are using to manufacture die and mould is from Japan or Germany, so we are very much at par with the Europe and Japan. We may be small compared to them, but we have expertise and technology both.

How has the emergence of south eastern countries affected Indian business?
It used to, but now since the prices have gone up due to currency fluctuation, India still has a better chance. We need not worry.

Education of Indian engineers, what’s your take on the same and what is TAGMA doing on the same front?
Although the engineers are trained in the institutes, but we manufacturers are far ahead of them as far as the equipments are concerned. We have to train young engineers and not only that, now that the complexity of the products has increased, it is becoming more difficult to thrive in the industry. Having said that, I also feel that apart from some big institutes, the practical training is missing in an average Indian technical institute.

TAGMA is working with heavy industry department and FICCI for skill development to bring out a proper course for skill development in the area.

What’s your take on 3D printing as a challenge?
As of now it’s not a challenge and in future too I don’t think it can pose any challenges to the die mould industry. Though we don’t know about tomorrow, but one thing is clear die and mould will exist throughout.

Please highlight the importance of Die Mould India 2014…
It is the best platform for the professionals associated with die mould industry to learn about the latest happenings in the industry, upgrade the technology level and connect with customers & partners. One can find the whole ecosystem of the industry be in tooling solution providers to CNC manufacturers, vendors to buyers, CAD/CAM to design, among others under one roof. Also being a focussed exhibition it attracts huge visitors from around the globe.

Looking at the scope for knowledge up gradation, it is good for visitors, exhibitors and customers.