From Brownfield to Smart Factory: Retrofitting the Past for India's Manufacturing Future

India's manufacturing industry is at a turning point. Rising operational costs, energy inefficiencies, increasing customer demands, and a persistent shortage of skilled labour are forcing manufacturers to reimagine the way they work. Digitalisation and automation are fast emerging as the critical enablers to meet these challenges head-on.

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Contrary to popular belief, modernisation doesn't mean tearing down and replacing every machine with brand-new equipment. India’s industrial base is built on thousands of legacy plants, operating a mix of machinery of varying ages and capabilities. Many of these plants have already begun incorporating modern automation processes without discarding their older assets. The Smart Factory journey begins with identifying measurable business goals for the organization as first step.

A strong roadmap allows manufacturers to integrate automation features into production lines while ensuring harmony between old and new systems. One of the most powerful tools to make this possible is the comprehensive Digital Twin—a virtual representation of a product and its production system that enables simulation, testing, and optimisation without disrupting ongoing operations.

Starting small, starting flexibly

For Indian manufacturers, the idea of going digital can seem daunting, especially when budgets are tight and downtime is costly. Yet, becoming a digital enterprise brings measurable benefits—higher productivity, lower costs, improved operational efficiency, and opportunities to upskill the workforce. The Digital Twin enables companies to simulate their production environment virtually and identify where automation can be introduced with minimal disruption. In India’s highly cost-sensitive market, this “start small” approach allows manufacturers to build capability step-by-step rather than investing heavily upfront.

A practical entry point is the Production Digital Twin. By testing modern automation techniques virtually before physical implementation- manufacturers can avoid expensive mistakes, shorten deployment timelines, and ensure that investments align with long-term goals.