The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), the apex industry body, hosted the 15th Lecture Series on Digital Innovation and Smart Manufacturing: On a virtual platform, Industry 4.0 and Beyond will be discussed in order to further the existing discussion on leveraging digital technology and physical domains for smart manufacturing in the automotive industry.
The 15th Lecture was divided into two sessions, with industry leaders and experts discussing the impact of Industry 4.0 and how to achieve environmental sustainability by sharing the most up-to-date knowledge and best practices in smart manufacturing and related business and technological innovations.
In his welcome address Prashant K. Banerjee said, “As product and service complexities grow, as does turnaround time to market, continual technological upheavals, and shifting customer preferences, manufacturing faces growing pressure to fulfill market demand.” The intricacy of such a scenario, where complex KRP systems and integrated supply chain partners entail business intelligence and data management, necessitates a large increase in industry 4.0 awareness.”
Karsten Mueller, Head of Manufacturing at Bosch India Ltd, discussed LAKSHYA, a Bosch program that focuses on human capital. He talked about the important components of future-ready manufacturing, including a clear emphasis on business requirements, leveraging conducted industry, anchoring digital competencies, and enabling data-driven improvement. He also discussed AI applications and AI-assisted anomaly management.
Satyakam Arya, Chairman, SIAM, CEO & MD, discussed key aspects of industry 4.0, such as increased automation, the bridging of the physical and digital worlds with cyber-physical systems enabled by IoT, and a shift away from central industrial control systems, with smart products defining manufacturing.
A veteran in the industry, Mahesh Kaikini, Co-Chairman, SIAM and Chief of Quality, Hero MotoCorp, stated that it requires a long-term roadmap and policy framework. He went on to talk about how the lines between physical, digital, and biological systems are blurring, as well as industry 4.0's primary digital value drivers.
Brijesh Gubbi Suresh, Hyundai Motor India's Head (New Business Strategy), shared his thoughts on smart ecosystems, emphasizing that automation strengthens skillsets rather than contributing to unemployment. He also covered new market trends, such as mass customization, smart supply chain systems, and 100 percent operational efficiency by employing linked technologies and advanced data analytics, and showed instances of an integrated smart manufacturing environment called "SMARTIVITY."
Eva Diedrichs, Senior Consultant, A.T. Kearney, contributed to the discussion by providing a comprehensive overview of digital innovation strategy (DIS), including significant problems for the automotive sector, success factors for DIS, and important stages to build DIS, including identifying triggers, developing and sharing of organizational vision for digital future, DIS development and implementation.
Prof Yan, Northwestern University, explained that technology can be the driving force that can link to sustainability and livelihood, citing the example of Taiwan, which is ranked No. 1 Industrial cluster in the world by WEF. He covered Taiwan's industry 4.O policy, as well as aspects of advanced digital technology innovation, value chain integration, and case studies of smart manufacturing methods.
Jagannadha Pawan Tamvada, Associate professor at, University of Southampton, UK, highlighted the Accelerate, Contribute, and Transform (ACT) framework in his talk on smart manufacturing growth methods. In addition, he provided examples of innovative business models and emphasized the necessity for organizational collaboration, the advent of mass customization, and the EU's Industry 5.0 policy, which places a heavy emphasis on human centricity, sustainability, and resilience.
Vishal Talwar, Dean of BML Munjal University's School of Management, joined the conversation by stating that 86 percent of firms in the United States believe smart factories will be the key driver of competition by 2025. He discussed the numerous industry 4.0 policies in Asia, as well as how the correct kind of data is the driving force behind Industry 4.0. He provided key takeaways for moving from data collection to data-driven decision-making.
Industry 4.0 is accelerating the development of smart factories around the world. The 15th Lecture focused on how linked and intelligent digital technologies are changing traditional manufacturing shop floors into sustainable smart factories, boosting efficiency, profitability, compliance, and customer satisfaction.