The fourth edition of International Tooling Summit (ITS) was inaugurated at Hotel Hyatt Regency, Pune on February 7, 2019. Organised by the Tool and Gauge Manufacturers Association (TAGMA), the event revolved around the theme, "Indian Tooling Industry: Forming & Moulding the Future". The two-day event saw four panel discussions, 16 technical sessions, with about 40 speakers discussing various topics that impact the Indian tooling industry. Overall, the event aimed to highlight the latest technology trends, business dynamics, opportunities, challenges and the future outlook.

ITS 2019 was inaugurated in the presence of the chief guests Sunil Kakkar, Executive Director (Supply Chain), Maruti Suzuki India Ltd; Saurabh Kumar, DGOF & Chairman, Ordnance Factory Board; Laxmi Laxman, General Manager, PCK Budrus (present on behalf of Peter Vetter, Head, Quality Planning Tool Steels, Buderus Edelstahl; N Reghuraj, MD - NTTF and Founder President, TAGMA India; D K Sharma, President, TAGMA India and D Shanmugasundaram, Vice President, TAGMA India.

Welcoming over 400 professionals from around the world, Sharma said, "I am delighted to share that in just four years, ITS has become one of the most important a platform for the Indian tool room professionals for knowledge sharing, understanding global trends, and building acquaintances. Today, with an increase in demand from the automotive and consumer industries, the Indian tooling sector is witnessing rapid growth. The total tooling demand for FY17 in India was USD 2070 million and is expected to reach USD 2683 million by FY 2020 with the CAGR of 9%. This is a good time to be a tool maker in India, we must celebrate this occasion and gear up for the future opportunities."

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