The 10th edition of OSH India Expo this year promises to be the biggest ever in terms of both product showcase and end-user participation
We spoke to Pankaj Jain, Sr. Group Director & Digital Head, Informa Markets in India to understand the new initiatives for OSH India Expo, new pavilions and exhibition showcases this year, the OSH India Awards and the conference for HSE officers to be held in parallel at the venue.
The 10th edition of OSH India Expo is scheduled to be held from Nov 24-25 this year at Bombay Exhibition Centre. Please share your thoughts on this momentous occasion.
OSH India Expo now has a ten-year legacy of enriching Indian industry with HSE knowledge and spreading awareness through quality safety and occupational health product demos, and industry-leading conference sessions since the inception of its first edition in 2012. All along this journey we have received tremendous support and affection from the industry. We have recently concluded OSH South India at the Chennai Trade Centre in the month of June, which is currently the biggest occupational safety and health show in South India by Informa Markets in terms of the number of exhibitors and HSE officers who participated in it. For the 10th edition of OSH India this year, we have already received a phenomenal response and some of the big brands that have confirmed their participation till date include Karam, Udyogi, Venus, Joseph Leslie, Utex, Allen Cooper, Acme Safetywear, Mtandt, Intech, Jayco, Garware, Tata International, Ansell, Marvel Gloves, Prolite, Midas Safety, Portwest and NEBOSH. I am extremely confident that the 10th edition of OSH India Expo is going to be the biggest ever occupational safety and health expo in the entire South Asian region.
What new initiatives should we expect to see at OSH India Expo 2022?
Each year OSH India showcases world-class safety and health products and solutions in PPE, ergonomics, gas detection and control, chemical safety, working at heights, etc. While we would continue to expand showcase of these products and solutions, this year as part of the 10th edition celebrations we also plan to raise awareness related to OSH India among safety officers and industry professionals across India to help them plan their visit in advance. Accordingly, we plan to do several roadshows across key industrial belts such as Pune, Delhi NCR and Ahmedabad between Oct-Nov 2022. This would enable us to reach out with the right messaging for the new things we plan to introduce at OSH India Expo this year.
We would organize a hosted buyer program for HSE heads as part of the OSH India Expo, to enable for them a direct contact with key vendors of safety solutions. This would also help the vendors understand the HSE challenges and provide solutions to mitigate them better.
We would also launch the OSH Gurukul campaign, which is an occupational safety and health awareness campaign specifically for SMEs. It will draw strength from the experience of HSE veterans in large Indian industries and take their experiences to the uninitiated safety and health practitioners in the SME sector, thereby fulfilling the ambitious goal of bridging OSH divide between the large and small industrial clusters.
What benefits does OSH India Expo bring to the HSE community in India and what has led to its phenomenal growth over the last ten years?
OSH India is the pioneer and the biggest occupational safety and health expo held in the South Asian region ever since its inception in 2012. It provides a unique platform for government officials and safety professionals to network with industry stalwarts and gain knowledge on the latest developments in the space of Occupational Safety & Health. It draws inspiration from the OSH International portfolio of Informa Markets which includes shows such as Safety & Health Expo, The UK. OSH India has fantastic connects with all key stakeholders and experts within the global OSH community as can be seen from the increasing participation of global OSH stakeholders each year.
Tell us about the 8th Edition of OSH India Awards this year.
OSH India Awards is a unique initiative intended to recognize HSE officers who implement path-breaking occupational safety & health solutions across various industry verticals. To give you an idea of the scale of the awards, we received 245 nominations in the previous edition in 2019 and aim to surpass this number for this year’s Awards. The pre-jury advisory meet to deliberate on the various categories has already been held virtually on 2nd August wherein valuable inputs were assimilated from key influencers and veterans in the safety fraternity. The final jury meet to select the winners will be held during the month of November. Ernst & Young (E&Y) are the process advisors for these awards and winners will be announced at a glittering ceremony on 24th November 2022 at the OSH India Expo venue itself. To increase our outreach, we are also going to telecast the ceremony on CNBC-TV18.
To add some spice to the Awards evening we also organize the Safety Fashion Walk wherein top brands in the workwear domain showcase their latest designs through gorgeous models sashaying down the ramp.
OSH India Expo also has a co-located conference that draws a large number of HSE heads from across industry each year. What value does the occupational safety and health fraternity get from their deliberations?
Over the years the OSH India conference running alongside the industry exhibition features thought-provoking speaker sessions and panel discussions on topics of contemporary interest from renowned HSE heads and international experts. It is a unique opportunity for HSE officers attending as delegates to benchmark themselves globally and get the latest Indian regulatory framework updates. Delegates learn how to harness a culture of behavioural safety by installing systems and management best practices that promote exceptional performance. Leading organisations in the Construction, Manufacturing, Pharma, Oil & Gas verticals such as L&T, Ford, Maruti, Tata Projects, Tata Motors and ONGC have sent 1,500+ delegates over the years at the conference.
