India to host 18th World Road Meeting

New Delhi, April 25: India is set to host the 18th World Road Meeting (WRM 2017) on November 13, the International Road Federation (IRF) said on Tuesday.

The WRM, the biggest global platform for road engineers, safety and transport experts and companies engaged in road safety products, will be attended by over 4,000 delegates from across the world, an IRF statement said.

The theme of this year's edition is 'Safe Roads and Smart Mobility: The Engines of Economic Growth'.

"The WRM, which is held every four years, gives a platform to come together, meet and discuss issues relevant to road infrastructure and mobility and to exhibit and showcase their products," said K.K. Kapila, chairman, IRF, a global body working worldwide for safer roads and safer mobility.

The WRM includes a conference, an exhibition, a young professional lab and an innovation cafe and will also provide an outlet for sharing cutting-edge research, best practices and experiences, from across the world.

It intends to be a premier knowledge event for discussing important issues facing the road, transport and mobility sectors.

The conference will include four keynote plenary sessions with eminent and well known speakers, 44 parallel sessions with papers from academics and practitioners from across the world and four sessions dedicated to the IRF young professionals to present papers.

Kapila said the decision of the IRF to hold this event in India reflects the growing demand for surface transport and mobility and the importance of the country as a market for transport infrastructure and services.

"India, one of the fastest growing economies in the world, requires and is attracting massive investments in the transport infrastructure. The WRM will provide an important occasion for potential investors to partner and participate in the immense opportunities that the country has to offer," Kapila added.