Indian Manufacturers see Uptick in Digital Transformation, 91% Expect Digitalization Fuelled Growth, Quality Control, Risk Management
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, today announced the results of the 9th annual “State of Smart Manufacturing Report.” The global study surveyed more than 1,500 manufacturers across 17 of the leading manufacturing countries, including India. This year’s report reveals a focus on harnessing new and emerging technologies to build resiliency, improve quality, maximize workforce potential, and drive sustainable growth.
In India, given the supply chain disruptions over the last few years, the warehouse and fulfilment industry see the highest acceleration of digital transformation, followed by the renewable energy and chemical sectors. A staggering 91% of Indian manufacturers recognize the urgent need for digitization, which is driven by both internal imperatives – such as the delicate balance between quality and growth, adoption and integration of new technologies, retention of skilled workers, product quality improvement and client onboarding – as well as external challenges such as is inflation, supply chain disruptions, skilled labour shortages, cybersecurity vulnerabilities and the lingering effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Additionally, Indian manufacturers are actively improving their network infrastructure and leveraging the multitude of connected hardware devices. Networking hardware, with an adoption rate of 88%, and production monitoring software solutions, with a remarkable adoption rate of 92%, lead the way in technology adoption across various industries in India.
Dilip Sawhney, managing director, Rockwell Automation India, said: “The 9th edition of smart manufacturing report highlights the transformative impact of new technologies, including GenAI, on the global manufacturing. From the accelerated need for digital transformation to the overwhelming adoption of technologies, the new study underscores shift towards smart manufacturing, globally.”
“The report reveals that Indian manufacturing is rapidly evolving and is investing in smart manufacturing technologies to achieve growth, address workforce issues, improve quality control, mitigate cyber risks, and attain sustainability. A wider adoption of digital transformation is crucial for India to become a trillion-dollar manufacturing economy — a vision of government of India under Make in India initiative,” added Dilip.
Key global findings include:
- AI ranks as the top capability that manufacturers believe will drive the biggest business outcomes. 83% of manufacturers expect to use generative AI (GenAI) in their operations in 2024.
- 95% of manufacturers are using or evaluating smart manufacturing technology – up from 84% in 2023.
- 94% of manufacturers plan to maintain or grow their workforce due to smart manufacturing technology adoption, with a heavy focus on repurposing workers to new or different roles and/or hiring more workers.
- Change management is the leading workforce-related obstacle for manufacturers in 2024.
- Manufacturers cite “improved quality” as the top positive outcome they hope to achieve from existing smart manufacturing technology for a second consecutive year. Additionally, “quality control” ranks as the #1 AI/Machine Learning use case in 2024.
- For the first time, cybersecurity is listed as one of the top five external risks for manufacturers in 2024, ranking third overall.
- Energy management is the factor that matters most to manufacturers’ sustainability/ESG programs.
From accelerating digital transformation to strengthening quality control and cybersecurity resilience, the report highlights the key role emerging technologies play in addressing the industry’s multifaceted challenges. As we move through this landscape of change, Rockwell Automation remains steadfast in its commitment to providing manufacturers with the tools and insights needed to thrive in an era of unprecedented transformation.
The full findings of the report can be found here.
Methodology
This report analyzed feedback from 1,567 respondents from 17 of the top manufacturing countries with roles from management up to the C-suite and was conducted in association with Rockwell Automation and Sapio Research. The survey pulled from a range of industries including Consumer Packaged Goods, Food & Beverage, Automotive, Semiconductor, Energy, Life Sciences, and more. With a balanced distribution of company sizes with revenues spanning $100 million to over $30 billion, it offers a wide breadth of manufacturing business perspectives.
About Rockwell Automation
Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology to expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Rockwell Automation employs approximately 29,000 problem solvers dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.
