Messe Muenchen strengthens India ops

Messe Muenchen is strengthening its focus on the Indian, Middle Eastern and African regions by combining responsibility for these areas into IMEA (India, Middle East, Africa). According to a press note shared with WhatPackaging? magazine, Bhupinder Singh was named the president of IMEA, effective 1 January 2025.

Since his appointment in 2016 as the CEO of Messe Muenchen India, Singh has led the organisation to become the second-largest international subsidiary of the Messe Muenchen Group. In addition to his responsibility for India, Bhupinder Singh also oversees Messe Muenchen's events in Africa.

With his new regional responsibilities, Bhupinder Singh will drive Messe Muenchen's market entry in the Middle East. At the same time, he will become a member of the board of directors of MMI Asia Singapore, Messe Muenchen's umbrella organisation for the regions of China, India, Africa and the Middle East.

"Bhupinder Singh is characterised by his strategic vision, his in-depth understanding of the dynamics of the trade fair industry and his exceptional leadership," said the two chief executive officers: Stefan Rummel and Reinhard Pfeiffer. They added, "He has already led our Indian subsidiary to extraordinary success and will now also establish our trade fairs in the Middle East.”

Since 2016, Bhupinder Singh has expanded the company's portfolio in India from seven to more than 20 events and almost quadrupled the company's sales revenue.

Singh said, "Leading the IMEA region is an opportunity to shape the future of trade fairs in some of the world’s most dynamic markets." he added, "By fostering innovation and building platforms for meaningful partnerships, we aim to drive transformative growth across India, Africa, and the Middle East."

During his interaction with WhatPackaging? magazine at the Drink Technology India 2024 and the PackMach Asia Expo in 2024, Singh told WhatPackaging?, “The Indian packaging industry has surged over the past decade, not just technology and innovations within its design and manufacturing, but also robust value creation across its applications like pharma, food, and FMCG. With the remarkable growth of packaging consumption over the past ten years, the industry demonstrates its immense potential to drive innovations for the next decade of socio-economic changes.”