Rummel says India is central to future of global trade and logistics
This next phase for India International Cargo Show (IICS) comes at a time when the scale of India’s international trade is placing greater demands on the country’s freight, cargo and supply-chain infrastructure, according to Bhupinder Singh, President IMEA, Messe München and CEO, Messe Muenchen India.
Elaborated Singh, “India International Cargo Show has built strong relationships across India’s cargo and freight-forwarding industry. Bringing it into our portfolio allows us to serve the market through a series of focused yet complementary platforms. Exhibitors, visitors, associations and industry partners will be able to engage with a much wider part of the logistics value chain through one coordinated portfolio. At the same time, every event will continue to address the specific business priorities and communities it was created to serve.”
He shared the market outlook on 7 Sept as Messe Muenchen India, one of the country’s leading organisers of B2B trade fairs and part of the Messe München Group, acquired the IICS from Upstream Business Solutions LLP. As part of this next phase, Messe Muenchen India will work closely with Upstream Business Solutions to shape its future editions together. The IICS 2025 edition welcomed more than 25,000 trade visitors from over 80 countries and featured more than 200 exhibiting brands across over 15,000 SQM of exhibition space.
Over the past four years, IICS has developed into a focused business platform for freight forwarders, airlines, shipping lines, ports, terminals, warehousing and cold-chain operators, express logistics providers, cargo-handling companies and logistics technology businesses.
This brings IICS within Messe Muenchen India’s established logistics trade-fair portfolio, creating a broader and more connected platform for the industry. Together, India International Cargo Show, transport logistic India, air cargo India and the forthcoming project cargo India will connect businesses across the movement, handling, storage and management of cargo by air, sea, rail and road. This creates India and South Asia’s largest and most comprehensive logistics trade-fair ecosystem.
The expanded Indian portfolio will become part of Messe München’s international transport logistic network. In addition to its flagship trade fair in Munich, the network includes events in China, India, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Türkiye and the United States.
Stefan Rummel, CEO, Messe München, added, “India is central to the future of global trade and logistics, and this acquisition underscores our long-term commitment to the market. By combining IICS’s strong local reach in freight forwarding and multimodal cargo with the international transport logistic network, we are building a connected platform that delivers lasting value for customers, partners and the industry.”
Mohit Mewani, Founder and CEO, Upstream Business Solutions LLP, said, “The India International Cargo Show has been built on the trust and long-term support of its exhibitors, sponsors, associations, speakers and visitors. As IICS enters its next phase with Messe Muenchen India, protecting that trust and building on what the industry has helped create will remain the foremost priority.
“The focused character of IICS and existing exhibitor commitments will continue. Participants will also gain access to the international reach, sector expertise and resources of the Messe München network. This creates a strong path forward for IICS exhibitors, with greater visibility, broader market connections and more opportunities to participate across a growing logistics portfolio in India and internationally.”
The Mumbai edition of the India International Cargo Show 2026 will proceed as scheduled from 2–4 December 2026 at the Jio World Convention Centre, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai. Fiinews.com
