Open automation is poised to revolutionize Indian industries, driving them towards a future characterized by sustainability and data-driven decision-making. The shift from traditional, proprietary automation systems to open, interoperable platforms is not merely a technological upgrade, but a fundamental change that can reshape India's industrial landscape, fostering efficiency, innovation, and sustainability.
For decades, factory floors have been dominated by closed, specialized automation systems tied to single manufacturers. While effective in isolation, these legacy systems have become a bottleneck in an era defined by rapid technological change and the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI). As India aspires to become a global manufacturing powerhouse, the traditional model of industrial automation is giving way to open automation.
Open automation promotes efficiency, fosters innovation, and drives sustainability. It complements and enhances existing systems by bringing greater openness, interoperability, and intelligence to industrial operations. By embracing open automation, Indian industries can embed flexibility, sustainability, and efficiency at the core of their operations, respond faster to change, optimize resource use, and elevate productivity.
Data-Driven Sustainability
Open automation facilitates the collection and analysis of vast amounts of data, enabling businesses to make informed decisions about resource management and sustainability initiatives. AI-powered energy monitoring systems can analyze real-time energy consumption and optimize processes to reduce waste. Smart lighting and HVAC automation can further reduce electricity consumption, while IoT-enabled sensors can detect energy inefficiencies and adjust power usage accordingly.
Moreover, automation significantly reduces industrial waste by ensuring precise material usage, efficient recycling, and better process control. AI-powered quality control reduces defective products, minimizing rework and scrap, while 3D printing and additive manufacturing allow for material-efficient production, reducing wastage. Automated sorting systems improve recycling rates in manufacturing plants.
Water Conservation and Sustainable Logistics
The textile, food, and beverage industries in India are among the highest consumers of freshwater resources. Automated water management systems, including IoT-based water flow monitoring and automated wastewater treatment plants, are helping businesses conserve and recycle water, leading to sustainable industrial practices. AI-driven leak detection systems prevent unnecessary water loss.
India's booming e-commerce and logistics sector is a major contributor to carbon emissions. Automation is making supply chains more eco-friendly by optimizing transportation routes, reducing fuel consumption, and digitizing operations. AI-powered route optimization reduces fuel consumption and emissions, while automated warehouses with robotics cut down on energy use. The adoption of electric and autonomous delivery vehicles is also replacing diesel-based logistics.
Renewable Energy Integration
As India pushes for solar, wind, and hybrid energy solutions, many factories are integrating automation-driven energy management systems to seamlessly shift between renewable and traditional power sources. Automated power grids optimize energy distribution between solar, wind, and conventional power sources.
India's Opportunity to Lead
India is uniquely positioned to lead this transformation. With a rich engineering talent base, rising digital maturity, and vibrant grassroots innovation, India can shape automation models that are agile, scalable, and globally relevant. Embracing open automation can move India beyond being a manufacturing hub for global products to becoming a platform powerhouse, exporting automation frameworks, digital solutions, and policy models that shape the global industrial future.
Schneider Electric India has launched the Open Automation Movement, a bold initiative aimed at liberalizing industrial automation and making it more accessible through open, software-defined automation. This movement is a nationwide call to action, bringing together industry bodies, industry leaders, engineers, developers, and other stakeholders to create greater awareness and adoption of open automation as customers strive for greater operational agility, digital transformation, and sustainability acceleration in India.
By embracing open automation, industries can enhance performance and agility, driving greater engineering efficiency and future-proofing operations for maximum effectiveness and innovation. This marks a significant step-change in how industrial systems are designed, operated, and optimized. Open automation also plays a key role in supporting small and medium enterprises by offering them access to flexible, cost-effective technologies that were once out of reach due to vendor lock-ins and high infrastructure costs.
