Startups And The New Automation Stack

As India's chemical industry scales up capacity, compliance and global ambitions, automation is no longer an efficiency upgrade; it is fast becoming a survival imperative

- Upendra Kasbekar.

One of the most telling shifts at ChemTECH world expo 2026 was how startups and younger technology firms were no longer positioned at the periphery of the automation conversation. Instead, they were deeply embedded in discussions around productivity, sustainability and plant modernisation. Unlike earlier editions where innovation often remained at a pilot or proof-of-concept level, this year's exhibitors demonstrated systems already operating inside live industrial environments.

Companies such as AIRA, Plurimo, Cognisense AI, HYPERR and Janyutech represented a new generation of automation players focusing on software-first architectures. Their platforms are designed to sit above traditional Distributed Control Systems (DCS) and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) layers, extracting intelligence from existing sensors rather than replacing entire control infrastructures.

This approach resonates strongly with Indian chemical manufacturers, many of whom operate legacy plants built in phases over decades. Full automation overhauls are neither economically viable nor operationally practical in such environments. Layered intelligence enabled through AI, analytics and cloud-connected platforms offers a more realistic upgrade path.

What these startups collectively showcased was not disruption for disruption's sake, but augmentation: enabling plant managers to see more, predict earlier and respond faster using the assets they already own.

From Data to Decisions: Al Moves Into Operations

Artificial intelligence was no longer presented as an abstract concept or a future roadmap item. At expo, AI was firmly anchored in operational use cases. Predictive maintenance, energy optimisation, batch yield improvement and safety monitoring emerged as the dominant applications.