Major Indian distributor, Rohit Mathur of CSML, who handles Brunswick, Intercard, Jennison, TouchMagix and other brands, concluded that the 2019 IAAPI trade show in Mumbai was much better than last year's.
He said: “It was bigger and had a record participation from international exhibitors. That shows the growing interest of global suppliers to meet the Indian demand. The indoor amusement industry is growing and various independent local chains are developing in response to a strong demand for quality venues.
“The incoming investors are demanding better equipment – and the latest on the market – for their players. The international operators with interests in India are now upping their offer and getting the latest mix of bowling, rides, soft play, arcade games and VR and are refreshing the look of their locations.
“We are also seeing that mall owners are appreciating the importance of IACs (indoor amusement centres) and appear ready to have more than one or two operators inside their locations. That is a wonderful development and helps grow the market.
“It was useful that this year IAAPI had invited Kevin Williams of KWP in the UK to be one of the speakers at the FEC Connect session in the conference. He shared insights on the latest trends in VR and AR. Indian investors are looking to embrace the international trends and are prepared to include the best of what is available on the international market.”
