Smart industries: Industry 4.0

Abstract

The report is a study of fourth generation of Industrial Revolution also known as Industry 4.0 or Smart Industries. This term was coined by Bosch in Germany. Our report is specific to scenarios in India and the implications it will have in the discrete manufacturing industry in India. There are several differences in the work force composition, working culture in India and Germany. The maturity level in industries as well as the expertise, skill development differs in the two nations. The report describes these differences and how the Indian industry is preparing to tackle these issues in the coming years. Similar to the German counterpart, Bosch in India is spearheading the Industry 4.0 revolution. The focus in Germany is to retain the workforce whereas in India it is focussed more towards making processes cost-effective and increasing productivity. Contrary to popular belief that this revolution will reduce the workforce where our industries are labour intensive, Industry 4.0 aims at honing the skills of existing workforce and encouraging the workforce to acquire new and relevant skills in existing and new domains. This reports includes inputs mainly from personnel at Robert Bosch Engineering India Limited, Bangalore who are spearheading (Bosch) the Industry 4.0 revolution globally.