A curated Buyer-Seller Meet saves time, creates focused discussions, explores opportunities

How the Buyer-Seller Meet is Redefining Business Networking at Automation Expo – Ms Krisha Chettiar interviews Ms Bernadette Chettiar

Industrial exhibitions have long been recognised as platforms to discover new technologies, explore innovations, and build professional networks. However, as manufacturing becomes increasingly competitive and investment decisions more strategic, the expectations from an exhibition have evolved. Today, success is no longer measured by the number of visitors who walk the aisles – it is measured by the quality of conversations that translate into meaningful business opportunities.

Recognising this shift, Automation Expo introduced the Buyer-Seller Meet (BSM)—a curated business matchmaking initiative designed to bring qualified buyers and solution providers together through structured, one-on-one meetings.

The concept made its debut at Automation Expo South in Chennai, where it received an overwhelmingly positive response from both exhibitors and buyers. The success of the inaugural edition demonstrated that when the right people meet at the right time, exhibitions become catalysts for real business growth.

Behind this initiative is Ms Bernadette Chettiar, Director, IED Communications Ltd, whose vision has been to create an ecosystem where business conversations are purposeful, productive, and focused on solving industry challenges.

As Automation Expo Mumbai 2026 prepares to host its largest-ever Buyer-Seller Meet, Ms Krisha Chettiar, Research Associate at Industrial Automation magazine sat down with Ms Bernadette Chettiar to understand the thinking behind the initiative and what lies ahead.

The Buyer-Seller Meet was first introduced at Automation Expo South in Chennai. What inspired you to create this initiative, and what gap in the industrial exhibition ecosystem were you aiming to address?

Every exhibition brings together remarkable technology, innovative companies, and thousands of visitors. But I often found myself asking a simple question: How many of those conversations actually lead to business?

While footfall is important, exhibitors ultimately invest in exhibitions to meet decision-makers, understand real project requirements, and build long-term relationships. Buyers, on the other hand, are looking for trusted partners who can solve their challenges – not just collect brochures.

The Buyer-Seller Meet was born from that thought. We wanted to create an environment where every meeting had a purpose. Instead of leaving introductions to chance, we wanted to bring the right people together in a structured and meaningful way.

When we launched it in Chennai, our objective wasn't to make it a grand event. It was simply to make it valuable. Seeing buyers and exhibitors leave the room with genuine business discussions and the beginning of new partnerships reaffirmed that this was something the industry truly needed.

The inaugural Buyer-Seller Meet in Chennai received an encouraging response from both exhibitors and buyers. Looking back, what were the biggest successes, and what key lessons will shape the Mumbai edition?

The greatest success wasn't measured by the number of meetings we conducted – it was the quality of those conversations.

We had procurement leaders, plant heads, project engineers, and decision-makers who came with clearly defined requirements. Exhibitors appreciated that they were spending time discussing actual projects rather than making cold introductions.

One lesson we learned was that preparation makes all the difference. Understanding buyer requirements in advance, carefully matching them with relevant exhibitors, and ensuring both sides came prepared significantly improved the experience.

For Mumbai, we've taken those learnings seriously. The process is more structured, buyer outreach has expanded, and our team has spent months identifying organisations with active automation projects. Our goal is to create an experience that delivers value for everyone involved.

Many exhibitions focus on visitor numbers, but the Buyer-Seller Meet emphasizes curated business interactions. Why do you believe this model is becoming increasingly important for the industrial automation industry?

Industrial automation is a relationship-driven business. These are not products that are purchased on impulse – they are investments that influence productivity, efficiency, quality, and long-term competitiveness.

Today's manufacturing leaders don't just want to know what technology is available. They want to meet companies that understand their processes and can provide practical solutions.

Likewise, solution providers want meaningful access to people who are actively planning investments and modernisation projects.

A curated Buyer-Seller Meet bridges that gap. It saves time, creates focused discussions, and allows both sides to explore opportunities in a professional setting.

As manufacturing becomes more intelligent and projects become more complex, I believe this approach will become an increasingly important part of industrial exhibitions.

Automation Expo Mumbai 2026 is expected to be the largest edition yet. What can exhibitors and qualified buyers expect from this year's Buyer-Seller Meet, and how will it be different from Chennai?

Mumbai allows us to build on everything we learned in Chennai.

This year, we're expanding both the scale and the diversity of participating industries. We are engaging with buyers from sectors including pharmaceuticals, automotive, food and beverage, process industries, infrastructure, energy, electronics, logistics, and many others.

Our emphasis remains unchanged: quality over quantity.

Every buyer invited to participate has genuine project requirements and purchasing responsibilities. Every exhibitor joining the programme has the opportunity to meet decision-makers through scheduled one-to-one interactions.

More than anything, I hope participants walk away with conversations that continue well beyond the exhibition and eventually grow into successful business partnerships.

How do you envision the Buyer-Seller Meet evolving over the next few years? Do you see it becoming a benchmark for business matchmaking in India's manufacturing and automation sector?

I certainly hope so.

India's manufacturing sector is entering an exciting phase of transformation. Investments in automation, digitalisation, sustainability, and smart manufacturing are creating tremendous opportunities for collaboration.

The Buyer-Seller Meet is our contribution to supporting that journey.

My vision is for it to become a trusted platform where manufacturers can confidently discover technology partners and where solution providers can engage with organisations that are genuinely looking to invest and innovate.

If, over the coming years, companies can look back and say that a conversation started at the Buyer-Seller Meet led to a successful project, a long-term partnership, or even a new business opportunity, I believe we would have achieved something meaningful.

At the end of the day, exhibitions should do more than showcase innovation—they should help create it through collaboration. If we can continue to facilitate those connections, then the Buyer-Seller Meet will have fulfilled its purpose.

Editorial Note

The Buyer-Seller Meet represents a natural evolution in the way industrial exhibitions create value. Beyond showcasing technologies, it focuses on connecting the people who shape manufacturing decisions with the companies delivering the next generation of automation solutions.

Following a successful debut in Chennai, the Mumbai edition marks a significant expansion of this initiative. With carefully curated meetings, qualified buyers, and solution providers from across India's manufacturing landscape, the Buyer-Seller Meet reflects Automation Expo's commitment to creating measurable business outcomes for the industry.

As the manufacturing sector accelerates towards smarter, more connected, and more sustainable operations, platforms that foster genuine collaboration will play an increasingly important role. The Buyer-Seller Meet is one such platform – where conversations begin, partnerships are forged, and the future of industrial automation takes shape.

Krisha Andrew Chettiar, Research Associate at Industrial Automation Magazine, combines a background in Economics and Statistics with a deep interest in the future of industrial technologies. As a third-generation contributor to this legacy, she brings fresh insight into automation trends with a keen research-driven lens.

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