Bengaluru | January 2026
India’s manufacturing ecosystem is undergoing a visible transition—from cost-driven production to technology-led, precision-oriented, and increasingly data-enabled operations. This shift was evident across multiple industrial exhibitions held in Bengaluru in January 2026, where metal forming, tooling, moulding, and fastener technologies converged with automation, software, and emerging applications of artificial intelligence in manufacturing.
Across exhibition halls, manufacturers, technology providers, and solution specialists highlighted how automation, digital manufacturing platforms, and AI-driven tools are becoming integral to shop-floor decision-making. From predictive maintenance and quality analytics to simulation-led design and inspection automation, the focus extended beyond standalone machinery to intelligent manufacturing systems capable of improving productivity, consistency, and resilience.
Bengaluru’s role as a manufacturing and industrial technology hub was reinforced by the scale and diversity of participation, with visitors and exhibitors representing automotive, capital goods, aerospace, electronics, consumer products, infrastructure, and general engineering sectors. Against this backdrop, IMTEX FORMING 2026, MOLDEX INDIA 2026, and FASTNEX INDIA 2026 offered distinct yet interconnected views into how India’s manufacturing value chain is evolving.
IMTEX FORMING 2026 Highlights India’s Advancing Metal Forming and Manufacturing Capabilities
Bengaluru | January 2026
IMTEX FORMING 2026 concluded with strong participation from India’s and the global metal forming and manufacturing ecosystem, reaffirming its role as a platform for technologies shaping the future of production engineering.
The exhibition attracted manufacturers, automation specialists, and industry professionals working across sheet metal forming, fabrication, tooling, and industrial engineering. Visitor participation remained steady, with plant leadership, production heads, tooling engineers, and procurement teams engaging across automotive, capital goods, aerospace, electrical equipment, and general engineering sectors.
Technology-Driven Manufacturing Focus
The exhibition floor reflected the growing convergence of metal forming, automation, digital manufacturing, and AI-enabled production systems. Press technologies, forming systems, tooling solutions, metrology platforms, and production software were showcased with an emphasis on throughput improvement, consistency, and quality in high-volume and high-precision environments.
AI-assisted quality inspection, data-driven process optimisation, and predictive analytics featured as emerging themes, indicating increasing industry interest in reducing manual intervention while improving repeatability and uptime. Discussions suggested a gradual but steady shift towards connected, software-integrated shop floors.
Industry Relevance and Scale
IMTEX FORMING 2026 brought together domestic and international technology suppliers, offering exposure to global manufacturing benchmarks while underscoring the growing maturity of Indian engineering capabilities. Industry conversations extended beyond equipment acquisition to include localisation, productivity improvement, and long-term competitiveness.
From an India Automation Hub perspective, the event reflected a broader move towards intelligent manufacturing systems, driven by rising quality expectations, export competitiveness, and the need for operational resilience.
MOLDEX INDIA 2026 Reflects Growing Sophistication in India’s Tooling and Moulding Ecosystem
Bengaluru | January 2026
MOLDEX INDIA 2026 concluded with strong engagement from professionals across the tooling, moulding, and plastics manufacturing ecosystem, highlighting the sector’s expanding strategic importance within India’s manufacturing value chain.
The exhibition attracted mould makers, tooling engineers, component manufacturers, OEM representatives, and solution providers serving automotive, consumer goods, electronics, medical devices, and industrial applications. Visitor interest remained focused on precision, cycle-time reduction, and tooling longevity.
Precision, Automation, and Digital Integration
MOLDEX INDIA 2026 showcased moulds, dies, tooling systems, automation solutions, and process-support technologies with a strong emphasis on precision manufacturing and process control. Automation within moulding operations was a recurring theme, particularly in addressing labour constraints and consistency requirements.
AI-enabled simulation, inspection, and process-monitoring tools drew attention as manufacturers explored ways to shorten development cycles, reduce scrap, and improve tooling performance. The discussions reflected a growing recognition of software and data as critical enablers within the tooling ecosystem.
Strengthening the Domestic Tooling Base
The presence of a strong domestic tooling community alongside advanced solution providers highlighted the growing capability of India’s moulding sector. MSMEs played a visible role, demonstrating specialised expertise and exploring integration into larger manufacturing supply chains.
From an India Automation Hub viewpoint, the event underscored how tooling is increasingly viewed not just as a support function, but as a strategic contributor to manufacturing competitiveness, localisation, and export readiness.
FASTNEX INDIA 2026 Underscores the Strategic Role of Fasteners in Modern Manufacturing
Bengaluru | January 2026
FASTNEX INDIA 2026 concluded as a focused platform addressing one of manufacturing’s most critical yet often underappreciated segments—the fastener and fixing solutions industry.
The exhibition brought together manufacturers, suppliers, and buyers across automotive, engineering, construction, industrial machinery, and infrastructure sectors. Visitor participation reflected strong demand for application-specific solutions, quality assurance, and supply reliability.
Application-Led and Technology-Enabled Discussions
FASTNEX INDIA 2026 maintained a clear application-driven orientation, with exhibits spanning industrial fasteners, specialised fixing solutions, materials, surface treatments, and manufacturing technologies. Conversations centred on durability, standardisation, and cost optimisation across diverse industrial use cases.
Automation in fastener manufacturing and inspection featured prominently, with growing interest in AI-assisted quality control, traceability systems, and data-driven production monitoring—particularly for export-oriented and regulated industries.
Integration into Manufacturing Value Chains
The exhibition highlighted how fasteners play a strategic role in product reliability, safety, and lifecycle performance. The presence of suppliers aligned with both domestic and global value chains reflected the sector’s increasing adherence to international quality and compliance standards.
From India Automation Hub’s industry perspective, FASTNEX INDIA 2026 demonstrated how even foundational manufacturing segments are being reshaped by automation, material science, and intelligent process control.
Outlook
Together, the three exhibitions reflected a manufacturing ecosystem in transition—where machinery, automation, software, and AI are becoming deeply interlinked across the value chain. As India scales its manufacturing ambitions across automotive, capital goods, electronics, and infrastructure, such platforms play a critical role in aligning technology adoption with industry realities.
The Bengaluru showcases reinforced a clear direction: India’s next phase of manufacturing growth will be increasingly intelligent, data-enabled, and globally benchmarked—with automation and AI acting as key enablers rather than optional add-ons.
About India Automation Hub
India Automation Hub (IAH) is India’s definitive digital publication focused on industrial automation, robotics, and smart manufacturing. The platform covers how technologies—from PLCs and robotics to AI, digital twins, and advanced manufacturing systems—are reshaping India’s industrial landscape across sectors.
Beyond technology adoption, India Automation Hub examines the intersection of automation with regulatory shifts, global supply-chain realignments, and geopolitical developments, offering industry professionals a structured view of the challenges and opportunities shaping the next phase of industrial and manufacturing growth in India.
