Call for Industry 4.0 adoption to catapult manufacturing

Indian industry cannot shy away from adopting Industry 4.0 — the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies — and the country needs to focus on using green technologies and best global practices to increase the share of manufacturing in gross domestic product (GDP), say experts.

The government is aiming to increase the share of manufacturing to 25 per cent of the GDP from the present 17 per cent, with a view to creating millions of jobs and pushing the country’s economic growth.

“To achieve this target, Indian industry has to adopt Industry 4.0 as it is important to boost manufacturing,” Hospira Healthcare managing director Srini Srinivasan said, adding that this quality of products and ease of doing business would play a major role. He was speaking at a session on “Industry 4.0: Leveraging for efficiency, adaptability, productivity — what is in it for India” at the Andhra Pradesh investment summit on Saturday.

Summarising the session, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion secretary Ramesh Abhishek said that to adopt “Industry 4.0”, India Inc had to adopt global best practices of manufacturing and that it also required investments. “In the discussion it came out that we have to adopt Industry 4.0... Industry has to adopt smart manufacturing,” he said adding other areas that need special focus include good quality products, alignment of jobs, skilling, perfect supply chain and innovation.

Keerthi Prakash, vice-president, vehicle production plant and plant engineering, Renault Nissan Alliance, said India could not shy away from Industry 4.0. “We have to look at Industry 4.0 seriously,” he said.

According to experts, “Industry 4.0” or the fourth industrial revolution integrates the digital and manufacturing world. Technologies such as big data and analytics, autonomous robots, Internet of Things, cybersecurity and augmented reality are transforming the manufacturing landscape.

This can be the fulcrum to catapult Indian manufacturing and thus make India a truly global hub. The transition will require significant economic and social transformation and political and institutional framework.

Ease of doing business is also critical for Industry 4.0. The government along with states are working on this, Abhishek added. Siemens Ltd MD and CEO Sunil Mathur said in India industry had to move from electrified to automated to digitalised machines.

Tata Chemicals MD R Mukundan said, “If we want to move forward the focus of the government should be on skilling and if we don’t get the right skills in place ‘Industry 4.0’ has been rightly feared that it would lead to huge amount of job losses and also job mis-allocations.”