Chandigarh : If we do not focus on manufacturing as a key sector for growth, we would not be able to develop our economy, create jobs and ultimately create growth. Without manufacturing taking a step ahead, we cannot develop as a state, said R K Verma, Principal Secretary, Industries & Commerce and IT, Government of Punjab, while speaking at the inaugural session of the conference on Achieving Excellence in Manufacturing organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) here, at Chandigarh on Friday 27 July.
“The trend of Industry 4.0 is a revolution and there is a need for deeper understanding on the subject. Today there are factories which are replacing human beings and for a labour-deficit state like Punjab, it is an opportunity. Punjab’s New Industrial Policy is already out and we have worked on the things which were missed out. The final draft of the policy will be out shortly and the modalities will also be out. Industry 4.0 has been identified as one of the thrust sectors in the policy. Higher level of incentives have also been provided for Industry 4.0 and high-tech manufacturing and concessions in terms of electricity duty and GST benefits have also been given which will help the units looking at modernisation under this scheme. The State Government will set up a small committee with CII to decide whether a particular unit is compliant with Industry 4.0 or not,” he added.
“The State Government is working with CII to set up a technology and innovation alliance to look at industry R&D and encourage investment in the State,” he said.
D P S Kharbanda, Director, Industries & Commerce, Government of Punjab and Managing Director, Punjab Small Industries & Export Corporation Limited, said, “I urge the bigger industrial units that they participate in ZED (zero defect, zero effect) movement and target global markets. The State Government is standing shoulder to shoulder to realise this aim. Two advanced manufacturing plants have been set up to attract new investments. The Government of India has sanctioned two Common Facility Centers (CFCs) to facilitate industrial development in Punjab.”
Viren Popli, Conference Chairman & Chief Operating Officer, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (Swaraj Division), said,“Digitisation in manufacturing is no longer a choice but an imperative. Through digitisation a business can better manage four critical M’s – Man, Machine, Market and Money. Digitisation helps generate and analyse data far more efficiently, thus helping us maximise machine throughout, maximise human resource utilisation, connect to the marketplace and generate more profits. Today many businesses believe they are working at full capacity and most efficiently, however, every factory has quality rejections and machine down time which directly impacts the bottom line.”
“By investing in digitisation and committing to the path towards Industry 4.0, manufacturers are actually committing to a brighter and more profitable tomorrow. The choice is no longer about IF one should do this, it is When do we do it.”
“The conference aims to introduce local manufacturing SMEs to concepts and conversations that are happening in this space to enable them to take appropriate decisions. This is important because the growth of the manufacturing sector is key to employment growth and growth of the Indian economy, he added.
M M Singh, Chairman, Regional Committee on Advanced Manufacturing, CII NR & Executive Advisor, Maruti Suzuki India Limited, said “Two things which are critical in manufacturing are Manpower and Machine. The basic focus should be on taking care of the manpower and ensuring their safety. Machine is the second thing which must be focused and maintenance should never be compromised. Understanding the basics of manufacturing is very important to achieve growth. Mr Singh further added that we need to involve everyone in an organisation to exchange the ideas collectively to drive Innovation as a practice. Mr Singh opined that the key of innovation is in our hands but we need think differently to unlock the door of Innovation.
Sachit Jain, Chairman, CII Northern Region & Vice Chairman & Managing Director, Vardhman Special Steels Limited, said, “Excellence starts in the mind, it is not about robotics but about mindset. A thought-process to move ahead on a continuous basis is more important. We must inculcate a culture of improvement and have a systematic framework in place. There are opportunities galore and we must intend to achieve 25 per cent contribution by the manufacturing sector to India’s GDP by 2022. Progressive companies have taken a lead in adopting global best practices and implementing operational excellence initiatives like lean, six sigma, TPM, integrated business planning, etc in the last decade. These have not only resulted in improved business performance for them but also led to implementation of systems for continued improvement. It is necessary for companies in the region too to adopt the best practices before the gap with the competitors becomes insurmountable.”
