Dear Members

The New financial year has just started . It has been an interesting year with many challenges and opportunities. However, this is typical in a modern, fast moving industry and we could all approach coming year with an open mind and positive attitude. As usual ,this is a time to take stock of our successes in the year past and prepare anew for the challenges , based on the trials and tribulations faced by all of us in the industry jointly and individually.

Before anything else, let me first thank all of you sincerely, for the unstinted support and enthusiasm and wholehearted participation given by you all to make ASIAFORGE 2008 a resounding success. An event of this magnitude could not have been carried out but for your patronage and of course the support of our sponsors and the many people who worked behind the scenes day and night. Of course we still can improve further for our next such event. THANK YOU ALL! I hope we can garner even better support in future from those of you who could not participate this time.. This unique experience has given me the confidence that we can all pull off almost any challenge successfully to our advantage if we remain together and pledge our solidarity Although all of us are back to work again in right earnest and grappling with the recent crisis that rising steel prices have imposed on us, we can still look forward to heartening prospects like the forthcoming 19th International Forging Congress in Chicago ,USA “come September”.

As President and a colleague from the forging fraternity , I am also deeply concerned about the recent steel crisis. As you may be aware, the Association has been making all out efforts by taking meetings, conducting studies , holding Press Conferences, urging the Govt. to rein in the steel prices etc, to help you tide over the crisis. Although the efforts are on still and all of us are collectively trying to persuade all concerned, I would also like to urge you all to stay in touch with the Association , with each other as also attend meetings (special and regional meetings) to understand you fellow members reactions/response to this and other issues like conversion costs etc.

This I feel would not only help in getting an insight into the problem but also devise a uniform approach/strategy to overcome this problem. It is at times such as this that our unity and solidarity must remain in tact and we should seek the help of the Association in whatever way we can.

So please do keep in touch for information and interact with the Association , your regional chairmen or for that matter any of us in the Managing Committee, in anyway you feel is necessary. Your support and feedback is of value to all of us.

I sincerely hope the coming year would bring good news for all of us.

Incidentally, I would like to take this opportunity to remind all of you to keep paying your subscriptions In time which will also enable you to update your data in the ‘Members Directory’ section on the website so that we can add strength to our Association to do its job better.

Regards and best wishes,