Industrial automation growth: on right track but not at right pace

April 18, 2013 10:15 am

Industrial automation growth: on right track but not at right pace
Today’s businesses are increasingly realising that with automation they can produce better quality products while keeping a check on the costs
 
Milind Kulkarni Head-Business DevelopmentFactory AutomationSiemens Ltd.
It is often said that the invention of wheel is the biggest revolution for the industry. Today, however, it is the invention of logic circuits that has laid the foundation of the automation industry. Over the past 50 years, automation technology has evolved to the extent that today our conversations revolve around “bringing the satellite vehicle onto the launch pad” and “precisely placing the satellite in the orbit”. With the adoption of sophisticated automation, India is currently in a position to independently launch the satellite and also position them successfully.
The influx of technology and increasing awareness has paved the way for automation to gain prominence in manufacturing industries. Businesses today are increasingly realising that with automation they can produce better quality products — sustainably and efficiently — while keeping a check on the costs. In India, however, this degree of sophistication in automation has not reached across all the industry segments adequately. While the double-digit growth of automation business in the last decade is a clear indicator that we are on right track, the issue is “not everyone is running at the same pace”. Needless to say, the overall growth rates are naturally hampered due to the “slow runners”. Despite heavy investments to the Indian manufacturing sector, the implementation of automation is still at a nascent stage. This is primarily because automation is seen as expenditure than an investment.

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