2012 Delhi Auto Expo may not happen at Pragati Maidan

The 2010 Auto Expo which was termed as the biggest auto show in the world with maximum number of footfalls and over 10-12 global launches, also saw the darker side of the show, which has been reflected in the shortcomings which global auto participants had much to share.

 

Even though global auto biggies are betting big on the Indian market, they are quite downbeat about how the gala event panned out. With virtual stampedes, poor administration, lousy crowd management plagued the venue, Pragati Maidan in New Delhi. Organisers are seriously looking for a resolution.

 

Now, if HT is to be believed, the 11th edition (scheduled for 2012) may be split into two venues. Chances are highly likely that the venue may not remain the same, and areas in the NCR like Gurgaon and Greater Noida are under consideration. For the 2012 Auto Expo, the number of participants is bound to go up further with fresh additions in the form of Ford, Nissan, Peugeot, Citroen, Proton, Ducati and Triumph.

 "This has become a very big show and the obvious solution right now appears to be to either move this out to another place or split it into two or three expos," said Dilip Chenoy, director general, SIAM. "We have to look at it in the light of what happened on Sunday."  A split may cause heartburn, but is a necessity, said Chenoy. "One solution would be to have a separate show for cars and bikes and another for components and commercial vehicles," he added.

 

Also there are talks that smaller shows could be held every year as well. Watch this space for more in coming days.