BUILDING A DIGITAL BACKBONE OF FUTURE MANUFACTURING

To understand what truly defines a future-ready smart factory, and the cultural, digital, and operational shifts required, OEM Update brings perspectives from industry leaders shaping India's next-generation manufacturing ecosystem.

- 

India's manufacturing landscape is undergoing a historic transformation as factories evolve into intelligent, interconnected ecosystems driven by AI, IoT, automation, edge computing, and data-driven decision-making. The smart factory—once a futuristic concept—is today emerging as a strategic necessity for global competitiveness. As cyber-physical systems integrate machines, sensors, software, and human intelligence, the boundaries between physical production and digital innovation are blurring, marking India's decisive leap into Industry 4.0.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution mirrors the disruptive nature of the ones before it, following the steam engine, the assembly line, and the computer. But today, it is digital transformation, intelligent automation, and industrial AI that are reshaping how India designs, produces, and distributes goods. According to SAP's research insights, the smart factory now acts as the “learning heart” of modern manufacturing—absorbing data, identifying inefficiencies, and autonomously optimising operations.

Yet, adoption remains uneven. A recent CII report reveals that while most manufacturers recognise technology as a driver of profitability and competitiveness, less than 10% of budgets are currently allocated to digital transformation. Encouragingly, this figure is expected to rise to 11-15% over the next two years, especially in IoT, robotics, and Big Data. But for many Indian SMEs, concerns around upfront costs, unclear ROI, and legacy system integration continue to stall progress.

To understand what truly defines a future-ready smart factory, and the cultural, digital, and operational shifts required, OEM Update brings perspectives from industry leaders shaping India's next-generation manufacturing ecosystem.

Vision First, Technology Second