TEXTILE 4.0 – Is the Indian Textile industry ready?

The industrialization of the world began in the late 18th century with the advent of steam engine and the invention of power loom. This has radically changed how goods were manufactured then. A century later, electricity and assembly lines made mass production possible. The 3rd industrial revolution began in 1970s, wherein computing-powered automation made it possible to programme machines and networks.

Today, a fourth industrial revolution, comprising of cyberphysical systems is transforming every part of manufacturing, supply chain and society in general. Under the title of Industry 4.0, many physical and digital technologies are converging through analytics, robotics, artificial intelligence, cognitive technologies, digitalization and internet of things. These technologies will create digital enterprises which can communicate, analyse and use data to drive intelligent actions in the physical world. Such 'smart factories' can leverage use of these technologies in manufacturing, supply chain, decision making and communication and can create disruptive effects on the business in the coming years. The rise of new industrial digital technology, under industry 4.0, will gather and analyse data across machines enabling faster, more flexible and efficient processes, which will help in producing high quality goods at reduced costs. This manufacturing revolution will ultimately help in increasing productivity, improving economics resulting in fostering growth and changing the competitiveness of organisations.

Click here to read about Mr G V Aras' take on the impact of Textile 4.0 on the Indian textile industry.