With this year’s edition of the Auto Expo being postponed, India's largest biennial automotive event is now set to return in 2023. Also called the Delhi Auto show, the 2023 edition is scheduled to take place between January 13-18, as confirmed by Rajesh Menon, director general of Society of Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

• Next Auto Expo to be held between January 13-18, 2023
• Auto Expo 2022 was cancelled due to COVID-19 related issues
• Will continue to be held at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida

Unlike most years, when the Auto Expo is held in early February, the 2023 edition is scheduled for in mid-January. It will, however, continue to be held at the India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, while the auto components show will be held at the Pragati Maidan complex in New Delhi, on the same dates. 

The Auto Expo will, thus, be held on every odd year from 2023 onwards, and will be in alignment with the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles, or the International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers' (OICA) global auto show calendar.

Why was the Auto Expo cancelled in 2022?

Back in August 2021, citing safety concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and the impending third wave at the time, SIAM, the organisers of the event, had had announced that the Auto Expo 2022 will be postponed.

SIAM had then noted that organising an event like the Auto Expo requires a lead time of preferably a year, and given the uncertainty of the pandemic at that time, and the scale of the event, there were high chances of spreading COVID-19 in a B2C show such as the Auto Expo.

Even the last iteration of the Auto Expo, held in February 2020, recorded a comparatively lower footfall as scare of the COVID-19 pandemic was already around in several parts of the world.

The Auto Expo is one of the most important dates in the Indian automotive calendar and has, over the years, been the launching pad for a number of new models, along with a source to gauge customer interest in new or upcoming products.

In recent years, important models debuting or launching at the Expo have included the second-gen Hyundai Creta, the third-gen Maruti Suzuki Swift and second-gen Honda Amaze, along with a number of concepts from brands like Kia, Mahindra, Maruti Suzuki and more. The last edition also housed a number of models from Chinese carmakers interested in entering the country. The yet-to-launch Suzuki Jimny had also made its India debut at the last Auto Expo.

What car, SUV launches are you excited for at the upcoming Auto Expo? Let us know in the comments section.