Samira MUMBAI International Boat Show ‘09 : WRAP UP !

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23 February 2009 One Comment

The Samira Mumbai International Boat Show 2009 closed Sunday after 4 days with higher attendance than previous shows despite the uncertain economic climate. Organizers and exhibitors both expressed satisfaction with the numbers and quality of visitors.

The show also served as the platform for the official launch of the Indian National recreational boating industry trade association under ‘FICCI’, THE Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

”As organizers, we could not be happier. This confirms that the decision to go ahead with the show was a wise one. Canceling the show would have been just what the terrorists would have wanted,” said Daryl D’Silva from CMP, “We could not let that happen – this is the Indian never-say-die spirit at its very best.”

In the face of the challenges of the global economic crisis, the annual growth of the Indian economy is expected to slow down this year to 7% which by global standards is extraordinary.

Another challenge faced by the show was the November 26, 2008 terrorist attacks which threatened the show’s cancellation.

Another ironic outcome of the attacks was the crystallization of the need for a single voice of the Indian marine industry.

As part of the show, the newly formed FICCI Boating Forum sponsored an industry conference ‘The Way Forward’ which brought together international marine experts to join government and industry leaders focusing on the future of the Indian recreational boating industry. FICCI also announced the formation of the FICCI Indian Boating Forum, the first national trade association to promote the
industry as its unified voice.

Providing a significant endorsement for the future of the industry was the spectacular unveiling of Mahindra Odyssea’s new 22ft and 33ft fibreglass power boats being built specifically for the Indian market and for Indian sea conditions.

Auto builder and market leader in multi-utility vehicles, the US$6.7 Billion Mahindra Group is among the top 10 industrial houses in India and a leader also in financial services, trade, retail and logistics, automotive components, aftermarket, information technology and infrastructure development.

Within 48 hours of its official launch, the new Indian National recreational boating industry trade association under ‘FICCI’, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry signed up a total of 60 members to the FICCI Forum.

The FICCI Boating Forum, the voice of Indian Boating, formed during the Samira Mumbai International Boat Show 2009, signed up 100% of the Indian boat dealers present at the show including Marine Solutions, West Coast Marine, Infinity Yachts, Navnit Marine, New Wave Distributors, Marine Crest and Ocean Blue.

Although most members are India-based businesses ranging from power boats to sailing yachts, PWC (Personal Watercraft) and kayaks to engine and ancillary products, services and infrastructure developers including some of India’s biggest names like Mahindra Odyssea, International companies with an interest in India have also signed up.

The objective of the Forum is to promote the Indian Boating industry nationally and internationally
acting as its sole unified voice for marketing but most importantly, advocacy with Indian authorities as they cope with the special security challenges presented by the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks.

Most members agree that at the very time the Indian marine industry was set to take off, it faced simultaneously the twin challenges of the global economic crisis and local security threats.

The first task of the new association would be to identify the most important factors affecting the
industry and then organize the industries response drawing on the input and expertise of all of its
members.

In this spirit, the FICCI Boating Forum sponsored an industry conference ‘The Way Forward’
alongside the boat show which brought together international marine experts to join government
and industry leaders focusing on the future.