‘OSH India is a pioneer in its domain and the biggest occupational safety and health expo held in the South Asian region since 2012’
The 12th edition of OSH India Expo is scheduled to be held from Nov 21-23, 2024 at Bombay Exhibition Centre. Please share some key highlights at this year’s Expo?
OSH India Expo has a 12-year legacy of enriching Indian industry with HSE knowledge and spreading awareness through quality safety and occupational health product exposition, and industry-leading conference sessions since the inception of its first edition in 2012. The support from industry and relevant government departments has been phenomenal towards our journey over the years.
This year more than 250 brands will showcase over 1,000 products and solutions in PPE, ergonomics, gas detection and control, chemical safety, working at heights, etc. We have already received phenomenal response and some of the big brands have confirmed their participation. The key supporting associations include: Indian Association of Occupational Health (IAOH), National Federation of Electrical Engineers (NFE), Safety Appliances Manufacturers Association (SAMA), International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), Indian Technical Textiles Association (ITTA) and All India Association of Industries (AIAI).
The promotion of the Expo across India is going on at full swing with on-ground promotional activities happening simultaneously in different cities and towns such as Manesar, Faridabad, Delhi NCR, Baddi, Kolkata, Noida, Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Baroda, Bharuch, Ankleshwar, Vapi, Valsad and Goa. The objective is to reach out to channel partners, distributors as well as the end users in person and to invite them to the show. This helps spread brand awareness on the ground through door-to-door visits and is a great direct marketing tool to invite quality visitors to the show. I am confident that the 12th 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 2024?
We’re excited to unveil the INNOVATION ZONE PAVILION—a special area dedicated to showcasing the most groundbreaking safety and health innovations. To participate, a vendor is required to share a few high-quality images, briefly explain how the innovation works for them, its applications and how it sets it apart from competition. The top innovations will be selected through onsite and online voting, with winners revealed at the OSH India Awards on November 21st, 2024.
We are thrilled to announce the launch of OSH Everywhere, an exciting initiative that aims to unite and elevate the global occupational safety and health (OSH) community. Through this campaign, we invite you and the wider industry to share inspiring workplace safety stories, innovations, and solutions that are driving a positive change within organisations.
We’re also super-excited to launch the First-ever Startup Pavilion at OSH India Expo, dedicated to supporting the vibrant startup community in the Occupational Safety and Health sector! As part of this initiative, you can showcase your groundbreaking ideas and connect with industry leaders and investors eager to support your business.
We are into the second year with our AI-powered “Osh Market Online” platform that uses machine learning algorithms to connect you to prospective buyers based on their preferences and interests & pre-schedule meetings with them. It has been designed to provide a continuous engagement between the sellers and buyers that goes beyond the three-day connect at the expo. Through a minimal investment in this platform, exhibitors stand to benefit from an enhanced connect with their prospective clients, who could be even those who are not able to visit OSH India Expo. The platform enables continued connect with visitors post the expo and enables exhibitors to answer their queries at leisure and also further reach out to them with more offers. So far, more than 100 exhibitors have joined the platform.
What is your take on the overall OSH scenario in India?
India’s occupational safety and health (OSH) market is projected to reach US$ 17.86 billion by 2030 with a CAGR of 11.1%. A growing economy and world’s largest democracy, India has a population exceeding 1.4 billion. Out of this huge number, around 64% form the working age group. The occupational safety and health (OSH) scenario in India is complex as unprecedented growth and progress go hand in hand with challenges such as huge workforce in unorganized sector, bulk of the labour working in SMEs, meagre public spending on health, inadequate implementation of existing laws and legislations, lack of reliable OSH data, shortage of OSH professionals, multiplicity of statutory controls, apathy of stakeholders and infrastructure problems.
How has OSH India Expo benefited the HSE community in India and what has led to its phenomenal growth over the last 12 years?
OSH India is the pioneer in its domain 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 Expo has built great 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. I am also pleased to announce that we are going to launch OSH North India Expo on 24-25 April 2025 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Tell us about the 10th Edition of OSH India Awards and Safety Fashion Walk 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 344 nominations in the previous edition in 2023 and aim to surpass this number for this year’s Awards. The jury meet to choose winners will be held during early November. Ernst & Young (EY) are the process advisors for these awards and winners will be announced at a glittering ceremony on 21st November 2024 at the OSH India Expo venue.
And who says safety isn’t glamorous? To add some spice to the Awards evening we are also going to organize the 4th Edition of Safety Fashion Walk wherein top brands in the workwear domain showcase their latest designs through gorgeous models sashaying down the ramp.
The co-located OSH Gurukul conference brings top-notch HSE heads from across industry verticals each year. What new can be expected as part of the 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 100+ HSE officers attending as delegates to listen to 50+ speakers and get the latest Indian regulatory framework updates. Leading organisations in 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.
To go beyond theory and put knowledge into practice, this year we have added workshops from some of the leading associations in the HSE domain: IAOH, NFE, ITTA and IPAF. These will showcase solutions around occupational health, electrical safety, technical textiles and working at heights.