Interlinking Industry 4.0 and Academia through Robotics and Automation: An Indian Perspective

Abstract

Robots and automation systems are growing rapidly in the society globally with an annual global sales value of 16.5 billion USD in 2018 according to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR). They have found a commonplace not only in industries and service sector but also in households. This has attracted heavy investment by industries globally in the research and development of robotics and its applications. Understanding this rising trend in the industry and society, there is an obvious need for expertise and future workforce in robotics. According to the IFR report, India has recorded a growth of 39% in 2018 compared to the previous year in terms of annual robot installations. The annual report of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in 2019 recommends robotics and automation as one of the prime areas of focus toward the development of national policies on Industry 4.0. One such interlinking initiative in robotics research and innovation has started at the Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing (CPDM) in the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). The project is designated under India’s first Industry 4.0-compliant Smart Factory R&D platform in a unique academic set-up. It aligns with the policies of Govt. of India to boost vision Industry 4.0 for India’s technological and economic transformation.