Smart Manufacturing in India's Automotive Sector

Smart manufacturing is a technology-driven approach that monitors the manufacturing process using Internet-connected machinery. Smart manufacturing aims to identify opportunities for automating operations and improving manufacturing performance through data analytics. Sensors are embedded in manufacturing machines to collect data on operational status and performance during a deployment. The automobile sector contributes 7.1% of India's overall GDP and 49% of the manufacturing GDP.

Impact of COVID-19:

Even before the COVID-19 outbreak halted India, the country’s automobile sector struggled with rising overhead, an economic slowdown, and shrinking demand. With digitalization, automation, and smart manufacturing techniques leading the way, automakers must gain the flexibility and speed required to produce in a growing market.

Government initiatives:

Automotive Solutions Portal for Industry Research & Education (ASPIRE - ICAT) aims to improve the technological capabilities of the Indian automotive sector by sharing knowledge and experience and making the industry self-sufficient. BHEL, a government-owned engineering and manufacturing firm, has launched SanRachna, a technology innovation platform. It is an open technology platform created to identify flaws in the current technologies used in India.

Key growth drivers of the market:

Robots, machine vision, and automation collaborate to perform various tasks ranging from welding and assembly to inspection and testing. Robotic arms can tackle tasks like screw driving, windshield installation, and wheel mounting in car manufacturing plants. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used throughout the automotive value chain, from design and production to service jobs such as predictive maintenance and insurance.

Key deterrents to the growth of the market:

The lack of technical skills prevents industries from reaping the benefits of smart factory investments. The complex network of alliances between hardware and software vendors, telecommunications companies, engineering firms, and industrial corporations highlights the difficulty in creating and developing IoT solutions for the automotive industry.