Robots on the shop floor

Robots on the shop floor: According to the “Future of jobs in India: A 2022 perspective” report published by EY and jointly commissioned by Ficci and Nasscom, about 70 per cent auto executives recognise the strategic importance of smart connected products for the industry and 55 per cent state big data and cloud computing as one of the key technology drivers in the industry. Fifty per cent of the respondents described robotics and automation to be one of the most impactful technologies for the Indian automotive industry. With robotics being increasingly adopted in the sector, repetitive job roles such as painting and welding are being threatened. At the same time, job roles in robotics programming and maintenance will be more in demand. Indian automotive companies are increasingly deploying robots on the shop floor. Making its way through die-casting and welding, robots have enabled almost 70 to 100 per cent automation in weld shops, press shops, cast shops and paint shops. Paint and welding shops are expected to be completely automated by 2020.

Homestays rule

The Indian travel market is estimated to be $30 billion in size and continues to grow in double digits. 2017 saw Indians travelling more frequently than before, aided by affordable pricing of air fares and hotel rooms, according to Indian online travel agency Yatra. Among the key travel trends for the year gone by is the growing lure of homestays. Homestays are a rapidly growing segment as it provides a unique and local travel experience. The last year has seen more number of people exploring homestay options especially in places like Goa, Kerala, Coorg and Pondicherry. Customers are looking for loyalty programmes as they are travelling more frequently: Customer retention is important and loyalty programme are a great option for both travel companies and travellers.