Reimagining Manufacturing
Kartavya Desk Staff
Source: BW
Context: NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub released the roadmap “Reimagining Manufacturing: India’s Roadmap to Global Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing”, outlining how frontier technologies like AI, Robotics, and Digital Twins can make India a top-three global manufacturing hub by 2035
About Reimagining Manufacturing:
• Published by: NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub, in collaboration with CII and Deloitte.
• Purpose: To chart India’s strategic pathway to advanced manufacturing leadership through technology integration, sectoral focus, and institutional reforms.
• Scope: Covers 13 high-impact sectors under five clusters and a 10-year roadmap (2026–2035) to integrate frontier technologies into production ecosystems.
Current Status of Manufacturing in India:
• Manufacturing currently contributes 15–17% to GDP, below East Asian peers like China (25%) and South Korea (27%).
• India aims to raise this to 25% by 2035, generating 100+ million skilled jobs and 6.5% global export share.
• Sectors such as automotive, electronics, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and renewable energy remain central to this goal.
Potential of the Manufacturing Sector:
• Global Hub Vision: By leveraging frontier technologies like AI, robotics, and digital twins, India can position itself among the top three global manufacturing hubs by 2035.
• Economic Gains: Advanced manufacturing integration could add $270 billion to GDP by 2035 and $1 trillion by 2047, driving high-value industrial growth.
• Job Creation: Expansion of high-tech clusters can generate over 100 million skilled jobs, fostering inclusive and sustainable employment.
• Export Boost: India’s merchandise exports are projected to rise from 2% to 6.5% of global trade, boosting foreign exchange reserves and competitiveness.
• Innovation Drive: Embedding AI, advanced materials, and robotics will enhance production precision, resilience, and global sustainability credentials.
Key Challenges:
• Low R&D Investment: With R&D spending below 1% of GDP, India lags in innovation capacity, patents, and high-tech product development.
• Fragmented Supply Chains: MSMEs face weak integration with global value chains due to limited digital connectivity and logistics bottlenecks.
• Skilling Deficit: A large workforce remains untrained in automation and AI tools, leading to slow adoption of advanced manufacturing processes.
• Infrastructure Gaps: Absence of smart industrial parks, 5G networks, and reliable energy constrains global-scale production.
• Regulatory Lag: Lack of unified data governance and technology standards delays industry-wide digitisation and interoperability.
Initiatives Taken So Far:
• National Manufacturing Mission (NMM): Coordinates frontier tech adoption, R&D funding, and policy convergence across priority sectors.
• PLI Schemes: Provide performance-linked incentives to boost domestic manufacturing in sunrise sectors like electronics and semiconductors.
• Industrial Corridors: Initiatives like Gati Shakti and PM MITRA enhance logistics, connectivity, and cluster-based competitiveness.
• Make in India & Digital India: Encourage self-reliant production ecosystems and integrate digital tools into manufacturing processes.
• Skill India & AICTE Initiatives: Drive industry-linked training programs and promote modular skilling aligned with Industry 4.0 needs.
Key Recommendations from the Report:
• Global Frontier Technology Institute (GFTI): Establish a Centre of Excellence for advanced R&D, testing, and certification to promote innovation.
• Plug & Play Frontier Industrial Parks: Develop 20 tech-enabled industrial zones with ready infrastructure, 5G, and simulation facilities.
• Technology Access Platforms: Build shared digital infrastructure to help MSMEs access AI, robotics, and automation tools affordably.
• Champion-Based Model: Large industries should mentor MSMEs through cluster-led innovation and technology demonstration programs.
• Servicification of Manufacturing: Shift focus from product output to integrated service solutions powered by AI and IoT for value creation.
• National Digital Backbone: Create a real-time industrial IoT network for seamless data exchange and predictive efficiency in production.
• Skilling Missions: Launch state-specific frontier tech missions like robotics in Tamil Nadu or green mobility in Maharashtra to localize expertise.
Conclusion:
India stands on the cusp of a manufacturing revolution where technology, talent, and transformation converge. By embracing frontier technologies, India can leap from cost efficiency to global excellence. The roadmap envisions not just “Make in India”, but “Innovate in India” — redefining the nation’s industrial destiny by 2047.