Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1493016
REAL TIME WITH... IPC APEX EXPO 2023 SHOW & TELL MAGAZINE I I-CONNECT007 89 facturing," said Sanjay Huprikar, IPC president of Europe and South Asia Operations. "It's a big step for them and for the IPC global association. India is one of our growing markets." Supply chain disruptions during the pandemic forced many companies in the U.S. to rethink their sourcing strate- gies to reduce their depen- dency on one country for supplies. Today, the EMS industry is being hit with component and raw material source shortages, particularly for bare PCB boards. Trade wars with certain countries have brought these challenges to the forefront. IPC APEX EXPO provides a great platform for participating IPC members in India to forge strategic partnerships with U.S. companies while increasing their exposure for investing and opening operations in the U.S. Since 2010, IPC India has helped OEMs, EMS providers, PCB manufacturers, cable/wir- ing harness manufacturers, and electronics industry suppliers Build Electronics Better through training and certification. IPC's India office has certified 11,000+ professionals in the industry, helping companies enhance the quality and reliability of their products. Several Indian SMEs, exporters, and public sector organizations are engaged with IPC resources. In addition to training and cer- tification opportunities, IPC India provides annual business networking platforms such as the Integrated Electronics Manufacturing & Interconnections (IEMI) event. "The Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council of India (ESC) is happy to have been able to organize the first ever India Pavilion at IPC APEX EXPO 2023," said Vikas Gupta, additional director of the Electronics & Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC India). "Sixteen Indian companies are showcasing some of the best EMS capabilities, electronic components, and sub-assem- blies currently being exported globally. India is becoming the preferred investment destina- tion for electronics manufac- turing given the low cost of manufacturing combined with both the rapid transformation in ease of doing business and various government incentives for electron- ics manufacturing." "Most of the preparation for the pavilion was done by IPC India," noted Huprikar. "They were able to stand this pavilion up almost entirely on their own. The credit for that goes to [executive director of IPC India] Gaurab Majumdar's leadership. He's had experience in doing this; he's brought that experience here, and now we're seeing the benefits of that experience." Electronics trade and investment have been growing significantly in India and IPC hopes to support the government of India by pro- viding opportunities that will help those electronics manufacturers. In 2020 and 2021, COVID-19 impacted the electronics industry globally. But based on the nice rebound we have seen in 2022, especially during the second half of the calendar year, I believe 2023 will be the year we completely regain confidence and build new connections. IPC APEX EXPO 2023 has been an important platform for Indian exhibitors and delegates to look for new business opportunities, and I am very excited to have had this oppor- tunity to showcase India's manufacturing companies. S&T Gaurab Majumdar is executive director of IPC India. Vikas Gupta