India's manufacturing story is quietly but decisively changing and industrial automation is at the centre of it.
For Arvind Kakru, Vice President Industrial Automation, the shift is already visible on the ground. While manufacturing's share of GDP has remained relatively steady, the nature of growth has evolved significantly.
"India is no longer just serving developing markets," he says. "We are increasingly becoming an export hub for global economies like the US and Europe." The pandemic accelerated this transition, pushing global companies to diversify supply chains and expand manufacturing in India. The rapid growth of Apple's manufacturing footprint is one such example.
Yet, the bigger opportunity lies ahead.
Compared to developed economies, India still spends less on automation. For Kakru, this gap signals strong potential, especially with the rise of sectors like renewables, electronics manufacturing and new energy ecosystems.
At the core of this transformation is a simple idea. Connect everything.
The journey begins with bringing machines and assets onto a connected network. Once that happens, systems start generating reliable, real-time data without human intervention. This data then feeds into advanced software systems that go beyond monitoring to enable predictive insights.
"The real value comes when you move from control to optimisation," Kakru explains. "When systems can predict what might go wrong, you reduce downtime and improve efficiency. That directly impacts business outcomes."
However, adoption is not without its hurdles.
For many MSMEs, automation is still seen as a costly investment rather than a scalable solution. There is also a cultural hesitation, where automation is often linked to job losses. In reality, Kakru points out, automation and job creation go hand in hand as industries scale.
Another major challenge is integrating shop floor operations with enterprise systems. While IT provides business insights, operational technology reflects real-time production realities. Connecting the two is essential to unlock full visibility and smarter decision-making.
This becomes even more critical in industries like automotive, where even a single missing component can disrupt production. Without connected systems, managing such complexity becomes difficult.
