Current State of Industrial Robotics in India

The other day there was a program on television about how developed countries use robotic automation in their industries. It actually made me gape at their technological prowess. I was left wondering about where India stood in the use of robotic technology.

Well, India too is taking steady strides on the path of automation. Then, why hanker for automation? Why not be satisfied with manual labour? After all, isn’t installing robots for industrial work an expensive proposition?

India, as the world, has understood that the speed, skill, consistency and accuracy of robots cannot be matched by humans. Moreover automation can take care of tasks which humans cannot perform specially in danger zones in an industry.

Cost of robots has gone down. The quality has vastly improved. The payback time of robots is now around one to two years. So even small and mid-size industries are looking toward automation to beat the rising competition.

USA, UK, Japan, Germany, Korea and China are way ahead of India in robotic automation. However, India is expected to grow very fast.

According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), in 2014, 2,100 industrial robots were sold in India and it is estimated that this number could rise to 6,000 in 2018. The operational stock of multipurpose industrial robots in India was 11,760 in 2014. In 2015 the estimated figure was 14,300 and it is expected to rise to 27,100 by 2018.

The markets which have global competition cannot do without automation anymore. The automobile industry is one such sector. Several automobile giants have established themselves in India giving a boost to robotic automation.

Tata motors uses industrial robotics and automation for production. Reports reveal that the production force in Tata Motors came down by 20%. At the same time its turnover increased by 250%. In a single plant in Pune, Tata is said to have installed 100 robots.

Many Indian subsidiaries of Multi-national Companies like Samsung, LG, Philips, Honda, Renault, Suzuki, Hyundai and Ford also use industrial robots.

The ”Make in India” campaign is a shot in the arm for Indian manufacturing and startups. So as more industries come up in the country, industrial robotics is likely to flourish.

Korean Japanese and American firms have chosen India to be the center for manufacturing industrial robots. Many indigenous companies and startups have also made a foray in the field of production of industrial robots. Some of these companies are Team Indus, GreyOrange, NavStik Autonomous Systems etc.

Nevertheless there are many challenges for industrial robotics in India. Toughest of these are high cost involved in adoption, lack of trained workforce and unavailability of hardware components.

However, the current economic scenario in India is very promising. This could be a great opportunity for manufacturing the required components in the country rather than exporting them. It would bring down the costs as well.

As far as training the workforce is concerned, efforts are being made in this arena too.  Kuka Training Academy in Pune trains both professionals from the industry as well as engineering students. This Academy was established to train and assist employees of Tata Motors when they began using KUKA robots.

Countless industries make use of robotic technology. These include automotive, defense, atomic energy, pharmaceuticals, food, textiles and so on.

Thus, industrial robotics promises opening up of several career avenues in the country in engineering design, development, research and management. It makes available wide range of entrepreneurial opportunities as well.

With combined efforts of the Government, the industrial sector and various training institutes, industrial robotics can grow in India with leaps and bounds and catapult the nation into a fast paced journey of unprecedented progress and development.