7th IFAT India to open its doors in October

From October 16 to 18, 2019, IFAT India 2019 in Mumbai will open its doors for the seventh time. More than 250 exhibitors at India's leading trade fair for water, sewage, solid waste and recycling will present their solutions for the pressing environmental challenges of the Indian subcontinent— from the water crisis to sustainable urban development.

The largest industry meeting of the Indian subcontinent attracts both established and new exhibitors: previous market leaders include Andritz, Endress+Hauser, Horiba India, Keller AG für Druckmesstechnik, Kirloskar, Lanxess, SPECTRO Analytical Instruments, Thermax and Wilo. Companies such as Arvind Envisol Hawle, Pentair Water Process Technology and Pratham Filter Industries will be there for the first time. In order to meet the great demand, IFAT India 2019 will move from Hall 4 to the larger Hall 1 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC) in Mumbai, thus occupying a record space of 13,500 square meters, which corresponds to an increase of more than 20 percent.

The fair is also well positioned internationally: more than half of the 250 companies come from outside India, namely from over 22 countries. Technology suppliers from China, Germany, Canada, the Republic of Korea, Norway and Switzerland will present their national innovations for the Indian market at joint booths.

This year’s event will feature a novelty: the future platform experience.science.future., which has already successfully established itself at the parent fair IFAT in Munich. In one single area, it will bring together start-ups, universities and NGOs, showcasing new technological ideas for the Indian subcontinent. For example, greentecAQUA will bring a promising solution to fight the acute water crisis: at IFAT India, the young company from Berlin will show a container-sized machine that can produce water in various qualities from the moisture in the air, for example simple water for agriculture, mineralised water intended for human consumption or specifically enriched water for pharmaceutical applications.

Visitors to IFAT India will not only be able to obtain information about the trends in the Indian environmental sector at the exhibitors’ booths. The event will be supported by a conference program for national and international experts to provide insights into technical innovations, current environmental projects and best practices. After the official opening, on the first fair day, the program will start with the City Leaders Conclave, where urban decision-makers will present their proposals for sustainable urbanization in India. The Business to Government Forum on the second day of the fair will focus on current environmental infrastructure projects: here, high-level representatives of Indian states will speak about the measures to be taken in the future to counter uncontrolled landfills and to strengthen recycling.

Also on the agenda: a colourful bouquet of international best-practice examples that India could adapt. One example: the participants of a Dutch delegation will show visitors how the Netherlands has become an international role model in storm and flood protection. Other presentations will focus on seawater desalination, industrial wastewater treatment, emission reduction and waste management. Another group of topics will be related to cycle management and recovery of raw materials. The potential offered by the processing of organic waste into biogas in India will be the subject of an event organized by the Indian Biogas Association.

The next generation of the industry will also not be neglected: the fifth University Challenge allows students to gain practical experience in integrated resource management. The winning team can look forward to a trip to the parent fair IFAT, which will take place in Munich from May 4 to 8, 2020.