Mega Industrial Expo

More than 50,000 industrial materials, components and services are on display at the three-day International Advanced Components and Technology Expo-2023, which began in Dhaka yesterday.

Walton, the leading electronics manufacturer in Bangladesh, organised the mega industrial fair, being held at the International Convention City Bashundhara.

Most of the showcased products are used as main raw materials or components in various stages of almost all industrial establishments.

For example, more than 250 components are required to manufacture a refrigerator while more than 400 components are needed for an air conditioner (AC).

So, Walton is displaying such components before manufacturers and consumers through a total of 21 stalls in four categories, the organisers said.

Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi inaugurated the fair at around 11:00am and after a while, a number of visitors were seen enjoying the latest technologies available at various stalls.

Delwar Hossain, a local trader from the Shyampur area of Dhaka, said he visited the AC and refrigerator stalls to gather information about Walton's latest innovations for those products.

Another visitor, James Shahrear, who is an official of Whirlpool Bangladesh, said he came to the fair to learn about the small components they usually have to import for their appliances.

"Reducing the cost of raw materials and spares is the main challenge. So, I came here to know if the cost of Walton's products meets our requirements," he added.

Ahsan H Mansur, executive director of the Policy Research Institute of Bangladesh, also visited the fair.

"Walton is making more than 50,000 industrial materials and components. It is really a big deal. Bangladesh's electronics industry will go further with the help of Walton," he said.

Speaking as chief guest, Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi said Walton has become an icon in Bangladesh's manufacturing sector.

He said Walton is manufacturing every product needed in the electronics sector, reducing the country's billion-dollar import expenses and contributing to employment and export earnings.

"Walton has already created 30,000 jobs and set a $10 billion export target by 2030," Munshi added.

The commerce minister also said that if Walton had not started producing electronic products, Bangladesh would have had to pay billions of dollars more on import bills.

"Thanks to Walton's visionary entrepreneurship, people of the country can now buy essential electronics at affordable prices," he added.

SM Mahbubul Alam, director of Walton Hi-Tech Industries, said the components they make can be used by other industries.

"If local companies use each other's manufactured components, the cost of production will be reduced while the growth and capacity of domestic industries will increase greatly," he added.

Golam Murshed, managing director and CEO of Walton Hi-Tech Industries, said the company exemplifies Bangladesh's potential in the global industrial and manufacturing sector through its work.

This is possible because of the government's policy support and the trust of customers.

"If the government's policy support and peoples' trust are maintained, Walton will take Bangladesh to a unique height in the world," he added.

Sameer Sattar, president of the Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said Walton also serves the backward linkage sector of Bangladesh.

"The growth of Walton, both in local and international markets, is a matter of price. The company is contributing our 'Made in Bangladesh' identity across the globe," he added.

Mahbubul Alam, president of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said an uninterrupted supply of electricity and policy support are needed for local manufacturing industries.

Among others, Leo Tito L Ausan Jr, ambassador of the Philippines to Bangladesh, Prof Shibli Rubaiyat-ul-Islam, chairman of the Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission, Nishat Tasnim Shuchi, director of Walton High-Tech Industries, and AHM Ahsan, vice-chairman of the Export Promotion Bureau, also spoke.