Mumbai: India will be partner country at `EMO 2007', the biennial machine tool trade show being organised by the German Machine Tool Builders Association (VDW) in Hannover between September 17 to 22 next year.

About 28 machine tool companies from the country would participate in the fair apart from a number of executives, V Anbu, president, Indian Machine Tools Association, told reporters in Bangalore. These companies are also in talks with their German counterparts for several deals, he added.

VDW was expecting increased participation from the Indian side, which is already second in terms of the number of visitors from outside Germany, said its managing director Helmut von Monschaw.

"India has been made a partner in the event to increase participation from the country as both, India and Germany have shared interest in this field," Monschaw, who is in India to promote the event, said.

This will be followed by its Indian version, Intex 2007 - a triennial show on the machine tools industry - that would be held in Bangalore between October 18 and 24. The show is expected to attract around 1,200 companies from 25 countries across the globe, Anbu said.