How robots have moved from traditional assembly line jobs to perform in tandem with human workers.

As India is sparing no efforts in ramping up manufacturing capacities in existing industries and building new Greenfield facilities, robots are expected to be part of the evolving smart manufacturing ecosystem. Robots have also moved on from their traditional assembly line, welding and painting jobs to perform many other tasks including machine tending, inspection and testing, quality control, and several others. Apart from OEMs, a lot of startups and system integrators are today engaged in this effort. What is the extent of robots in the manufacturing industry today and what are the emerging contours of the smart industry ecosystem in India? What is the present status of sector wise robots penetration in India? What are the segments that are witnessing increased demand?
 

“Robots have made significant strides in the manufacturing sector, especially in industries like automotive, electronics, and pharmaceuticals, being utilised for tasks such as assembly, welding, material handling, and quality control. In the healthcare sector, surgical robots are gaining traction, enabling more precise procedures. While the use of robots in agriculture is relatively limited in India, there is growing interest in employing them for tasks like harvesting, seeding, and weed control to enhance efficiency and address labour shortages. In logistics and warehousing, robots are increasingly being employed to meet the demands of e-commerce. They assist in order fulfilment, inventory management, and goods transportation. Education and research institutions in India are incorporating robots to facilitate learning and exploration in fields such as robotics, programming, and artificial intelligence,” says Rajesh Nath, Managing Director, German Engg Federation (VDMA) India Office.

Subrata Karmakar, President, Robotics and Discrete Automation, ABB India Limited, quotes the latest International Federation of Robotics (IFR) report on the sale of industrial robots in India which mentions India has reached a new record of 4,945 units installed in 2021. This marks a 54 per cent increase as compared to the year before (3,215 in 2020). This makes India rank tenth highest worldwide in terms of annual robot installations, along with the robot density per human rapidly increasing. “With a 31 per cent share, the automotive industry continues to be the largest customer for the robotics industry within India, doubling their installations to over 1,500 units in 2021. In general, the highest share is held by the metal industry with 308 units followed by the rubber and plastics industry with 246 units and thirdly the electrical/electronics industry with 215 units,” he says.

“New robot installations in India have seen a significant increase of over 50 per cent in robot units from 2020 to 2021; whereas the worldwide growth of robot installations from 2020 to 2021 has been 31 per cent,” concurs Frank Thomas, Associate Senior Consultant, ARC Advisory Group, Europe. He too cites the World Robotics report, presented by IFR, which says India now ranks at the 10th position in terms of annual robot installations. “The segments that are witnessing increased demand are electronics, automotive, and the metals and machinery segments, e.g., plastics and rubber machineries with integrated robots. The automotive industry remains the largest customer for the robotics industry in India with a share of 31 per cent in 2021. It is interesting to note that in 2020 the electronics manufacturing segment globally surpassed the robot installations of the automotive industry,” says Frank.

Mahesh Wagle, Co-founder & Director, Cybernetik, adds another perspective, that of robot density, which in India stands at 4 for every 1000 employees. While this ranks India at the near bottom among the list of developed and even developing economies, it keeps open tremendous scope for expansion. “India’s automobile sector is the top user of robots in the country. As many as 60% of the country’s robots are located on the automobile industry’s shop floor as per IFR. Automobile majors regularly deploy robots for welding, assembly, and painting. The plant at Sanand that Tata Motors recently acquired from Ford is 90% robotised,” he says. According to him, robots have a natural advantage over humans in repetitive, dull tasks such as packaging, storage, and retrieval, making them useful in FMCG as well as in the warehousing section of multiple industries. 
 
Since traditionally the automotive industry has been the main user of industrial robots, the question is how will the electrification of mobility impact this dominance?

“Traditionally, the automotive sector has been a major user of industrial robots, benefiting from their precision and automation capabilities in various manufacturing processes,” says  Kiran Raju, CEO & Founder, Grene Robotics. “However, the electrification of mobility is set to have a profound impact on industrial robots. With the shift towards electric vehicles and other forms of electrified transportation, the demand for industrial robots is expected to soar. During my time working with DARPA, I worked on a project on autonomous vehicles and that is when I realised that the future of organisations will be driven by autonomy, automation and human-machine co-existence. Moving forward, manufacturers will require robots to handle increased production capacity for electric vehicles and their components. This transition may involve reconfiguring production lines to accommodate the specific requirements of electric vehicle manufacturing, such as battery assembly and electric motor production,” he adds.

According to Saurabh Bhatnagar, Partner and Lead, Industrial Automation, Intelligence and Digitalization, KPMG in India, the automotive industry has been using industrial robots for more than seventy years, but there have been significant upgrades in the ways in which robots are used. “By employing robots, companies have experienced accelerated production, reduced costs, improved quality, and enhanced worker safety. As the competition grows stiffer and Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) norms become stricter daily, these aspects will become more critical in future,” he opines. To Saurabh, this shift towards EVs will require the reconfiguration of manufacturing facilities and the adoption of new automation technologies specifically designed for electric vehicle production, such as battery assembly and advanced electronics integration, due to this battery supply chain has also experienced a surge in demand. To address this need, battery manufacturers, auto ancillaries Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) are looking to robotic automation for fast and reliable manufacturing. “Thus, electrification in mobility will accelerate the robotic adoption in multiple industries,” he asserts.

“The dominance of the automotive sector in the usage of industrial robots is anticipated to be significantly impacted by the electrification of transportation. The transition to electric vehicles (EVs) will bring about various changes, even though the automotive industry has traditionally been a significant user of industrial robots for jobs like welding, assembling, and painting in the manufacturing of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars,” says Mukund Shah, CEO, Affordable Robotic & Automation Pvt Ltd (ARAPL). He cites three distinct trends with EVs: an increase in the need for robots created expressly for battery manufacture; changes that could result from the integration of electric powertrain components and the installation of sophisticated sensor systems for autonomous driving; and as electric cars have fewer moving parts and less complicated engine and gearbox systems, it will result in easier manufacturing processes.
 
The Covid pandemic struck a blow for digital transformation. Has this led to increased demand for robotic automation?
 
“The disruption caused by the pandemic emphasized the need for resilient and adaptable manufacturing processes. To mitigate risks, businesses sought robotic automation solutions to reduce reliance on human labour, ensure social distancing measures, and maintain operations with fewer disruptions,” says Rajesh Nath. “Additionally, the pandemic highlighted the importance of localised production and supply chain resilience, leading to increased interest in robotics for reshoring manufacturing operations. The focus on hygiene and safety measures further fuelled the demand for robots to perform tasks that minimise human contact. Overall, the pandemic has acted as a catalyst, driving a surge in demand for robotic automation across various industries. The pandemic has thus significantly accelerated the demand for robotic automation,” he elaborates.
 
To Subrata Karmakar, the pandemic had led to an acceleration of global mega trends – from labour shortages to consumer demand for personalised products all with the growing pressure to also operate sustainably. Hence, businesses are seeking to adapt their processes to overcome these challenges. “The key to navigating these trends is flexibility, which can be achieved through intelligent automation. By making use of robotics and automation solutions, such as ABB's, customers can gain flexibility, agility and adaptability in their operations. While automation has always been about increasing productivity and quality, in today's world flexibility and the ease of use have become strategic necessities. The equation is simple: those who cannot adapt – whether in production, logistics or distribution – simply will not survive,” he states.
 
“One should not overstate the impact of Covid. Digitalisation is the major driver of improving the OEE of production equipment. Robots help lower the costs. Covid has led to a lack of workforce and thus has also fueled decision processes to invest in robots, but the digitalisation trend itself is the key driver,” says Frank Thomas. “Having said that, I’d like to state that the Covid pandemic accelerated robotic applications in the healthcare sector. During the pandemic, hospitals and clinics began using robots for a broader range of tasks to help reduce exposure to the infection. It is evident that the operational efficiencies and risk reduction provided by health robotics add value in a variety of ways. Robotic applications are of immense importance in such situations as they replicate human actions in hazardous environments, thereby minimising personal contact,” he explains.
 
Mahesh Wagle believes robots demonstrated their capacity to maintain operational continuity even under the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic when lockdowns and severe travel restrictions were the norm. Apart from that, the consistent improvement in robot capabilities with the integration of machine vision, self-learning, and AI has led to greater adoption. “Quality, speed, consistency, and safety are the top USPs of automation. Robots add the edge of flexibility. Replacing human labour with robots minimises the bacterial load and, therefore, the chances of contamination. This makes robots useful for the food sector. In this industry, recalls are the worst productivity killer. The food industry also uses robots as vending machines,” he emphasizes. 
 
Another important point to deliberate upon is how the entry of cobots and AMRs/AGVs is changing the overall scenario of robotic automation in the manufacturing industry.
 
Undoubtedly, the introduction of cobots and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)/Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) is revolutionising the manufacturing industry, fostering a more flexible, efficient, and responsive automation landscape. Cobots excel in promoting human-robot collaboration, harnessing the strengths of both parties to boost productivity and handle intricate tasks,” Kiran Raju. On the other hand, AMRs/AGVs are transforming material handling processes by minimising manual labour, reducing errors, and optimising overall efficiency. These advancements have allowed companies to adapt to evolving production needs, streamline workflows, and achieve enhanced productivity. “As more and more technologies are evolving, manufacturers are empowered to meet industry demands by embracing automation, driving progress, and charting the course for the future of manufacturing,” he points out.
 
“The integration of cobots and AMRs/AGVs offers a flexible and scalable automation solution, increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and enabling manufacturers to adapt swiftly to changing production needs, ultimately leading to a streamlined and agile manufacturing process that unlocks new possibilities for productivity and innovation,” says Saurabh Bhatnagar. “Traditionally robots are utilised in process industries or continuous assembly lines now because of cobots and AMRs/AGVs, discrete manufacturing is adapting more and more robotic solutions. For example, a leading two-wheeler mobility company has employed five thousand robots and AGVs, another leading two-wheeler company has employed a large number of cobots for material handling, decal application, assembly, and some other processes. These companies experience significant percent downtime and productivity gains,” he explains.
 
Based on his long experience, Mukund Shah is convinced the introduction of cobots (collaborative robots) and AMRs/AGVs (autonomous mobile robots/automated guided vehicles) into the industrial domain has had a substantial influence on the overall situation of robotic automation. In support of his assertion, he quotes the following examples of how these technologies are altering the industry:
 
Increased flexibility and adaptability: Cobots are meant to be readily programmed and reprogrammed for multiple jobs and workflows, giving them flexibility and adaptability. This enables producers to respond rapidly to changing production requirements and easily handle lower batch sizes or frequent product modifications.
 
Improved collaboration: Cobots are meant to work alongside human beings, aiding them in a variety of jobs. This partnership between people and cobots has increased manufacturing productivity, efficiency, and flexibility.
 
Improved efficiency: AMRs/AGVs are autonomous robots capable of navigating and moving materials or items throughout a production plant, resulting in increased efficiency and productivity.
 
While robots are gaining in versatility with integration of machine vision and greater use of AI/ML capabilities, is there a supporting infrastructure in terms of skills and system integrators?
 
According to Rajesh Nath, the Indian manufacturing industry has been witnessing significant advancements in automation and robotics, including the integration of machine vision and AI/ML capabilities. However, the supporting infrastructure in terms of skills and system integrators is an important aspect to consider. “The presence of competent system integrators plays a crucial role in the successful implementation of robotics and automation solutions. System integrators are responsible for designing, installing, and maintaining robotic systems tailored to specific manufacturing requirements. While India has seen a growth in the number of system integrators, there is still room for further development and expansion of this ecosystem to meet the increasing demand for automation solutions. Also, VDMA India has been organising the symposium on “Robotomation” – Robotics and Automation trends in manufacturing. Through this, we have given a platform for the automation companies to interact closely with system integrators so that overall, the industry can benefit,” he elaborates.
 
“There already are robot data and analysis methods available today that increase the efficiency of a robot system, guarantee higher reliability and enable predictive maintenance. In addition, processes can be optimised through real-time data analysis. For example, ABB's Paint Atomizer uses machine learning to optimise performance/quality based on data with no human intervention,” says Subrata Karmakar. “Machine learning today allows the system to remember challenges and continuously improves item recognition and identification of optimal picking vectors, e.g., like a human being who learns by doing, a robot can learn over time and become increasingly flexible and effective. This will enhance tasks such as autonomous grasping, with a combination of vision systems and machine learning algorithms that help a robot understand the size and shape of the object and the correct gripper position and pressure to grasp it,” he adds.
 
In the opinion of Frank Thomas, this is by far a large bottleneck. In the past the robot business has been a product business with high volumes on very well-known applications. With cobots, a large number of new applications in more flexible lower volume/higher mix production is evolving and the increased use of digitalisation software including vision systems and AI. “The robot business requires a system/solution business around very individual applications. Much more consulting is needed to understand the new applications and prepare the right choice of robots best matching to the individual needs of the end users. End users also often prefer to leverage the expertise of local system integrators. The transition from a product business to a solution business is ongoing but will take a considerable amount of time to be globally available and supported, also due to the lack of experts,” he suggests.
 
“A major roadblock is the availability of a skilled workforce for programming robots and to maintain them. Given the importance of robots in industry and their high growth rate, it is a question of time that positive interventions by industry and policy makers fix these limitations,” says Mahesh Wagle. Being an interdisciplinary field that combines the mechanical, computer, and electronics streams, robotics education and practice requires an integrated approach. Few educational institutions in India offer robotics courses. This creates the supply crunch that is aggravated by the 12% growth in demand for robots. “Moreover, these courses focus on robot operations, not on the other two areas, viz., design and building of robotic systems and solutions. And because dealing with robots requires additional learning after graduation, the enthusiasm among students is low,” he laments, because robots can deliver on their promise only if integrated correctly in the overall manufacturing system. It takes skill and experience to choose the correct robot for the task, define the process flow, locate and program it, and incorporate safety considerations. Here again, the shortage of skilled manpower becomes a speed bump. 
 
Will the recent emphasis on manufacturing incentives for the electronics industry via PLI schemes lead to greater demand for robotic solutions? 
 
“The Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) initiative by the government is to enable and empower Indian enterprises to expand their operations, adopt automation solutions such as cobots, and effectively compete in the global marketplace. The PLI scheme represents a significant stride towards boosting the Indian economy,” says Kiran Raju. According to him, the automation drive facilitated by the PLI scheme is expected to not only bolster production but also increase the export of manufactured goods from India. “The scheme offers additional incentives to companies that achieve specific export targets, thereby supporting Indian manufacturers in becoming more competitive globally,” he opines.
 
Saurabh Bhatnagar believes the recent implementation of PLI schemes in India, aimed at incentivising domestic manufacturing in the electronics industry, has sparked a surge in demand for robotic solutions. “These incentives have made it more appealing for companies to establish or expand their production facilities in the country. Robotic solutions offer enhanced efficiency, precision, and productivity, aligning with the goals of the PLI schemes to strengthen manufacturing capabilities. Especially, the electronics industry is expected to witness a significant increase in the adoption of robotic solutions as manufacturers seek to meet the scheme requirements and capitalise on the government-provided incentives,” he elaborates.
 
Summing up, while most on the participants in this story are upbeat about the PLI schemes, Mukand Shah enumerates some of the reasons:
 
i. PLI schemes are floated to remove competitive disadvantages compared to China and thus making the manufacturing sector competitive in cost and quality for the world market from India.
 
ii. Robotic systems can conduct jobs with great accuracy on a consistent basis, eliminating human mistakes and assuring consistent product quality. This is especially significant in areas where accuracy and quality control are critical to the end output, such as electronics.
 
iii. Robotic systems play an important part in automating many production processes. Companies may increasingly use robotics to increase efficiency, productivity, and precision in their production lines in order to promote domestic electronics manufacturing.
 
iv. As the demand for electronics develops, manufacturers may need to swiftly increase their manufacturing capacity. Robotic systems provide flexibility and scalability, allowing businesses to swiftly respond to changing market needs with little delays or disturbances.
 
Note: The responses of various experts featured in this story are their personal views and not necessarily of the companies or organisations they represent. The full interviews are hosted online at https://www.iedcommunications.com/interviews)