Startups sought for survey to boost Industry 4.0

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has called for proposals from startups and organizations to develop a survey aimed at understanding the challenges faced by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups in adopting emerging technologies, with a deadline set for June 11.

Conducted by the Telecom Centre of Excellence (TCoE), the survey will assess the current readiness of the MSME sector for embracing Industry 4.0 technologies and pinpoint areas for improvement. The initiative will provide valuable insights for the DoT to prioritize investments and strategic directions in this domain, with a focus on identifying sector-specific needs in at least 10 sectors to foster innovation.

Industry 4.0 involves the integration of advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, and big data into manufacturing and industrial processes. The survey aims to recognize the diverse landscape of MSMEs and offer targeted support to enhance innovation and competitiveness.

Covering five sectors each in northern and southern India over a 90-day period, the survey will lay the groundwork for policy interventions to facilitate the adoption of emerging technologies among MSMEs. The TCoE has emphasized that the survey should not only address immediate barriers to digital transformation but also explore opportunities for integrating 5G and 6G technologies to enhance cyber-physical systems.

The selected startup or organization will be responsible for collecting primary data through both online and offline channels, analyzing the information to identify patterns, and generating a detailed report highlighting the findings. Additionally, they will recommend policy changes to support the implementation of survey findings, aiming to enhance efficiency in the MSME sector and increase production with minimal additional costs.

This initiative comes at a time when the Indian manufacturing sector is undergoing a significant transformation driven by AI and robotics. Industry 4.0 aims to leverage technology to improve production capacity, quality, resource utilization, and cost-saving benefits through automation. McKinsey estimates that adoption of Industry 4.0 could boost operating profits for Indian companies by 40% with minimal capital expenditure.

In response, the government is facilitating the establishment of centers across the country to assist SMEs in implementing Industry 4.0. This has led to the emergence of startups catering to small businesses seeking to embrace emerging technologies, demonstrating a growing focus on digital transformation in the manufacturing sector.

Re-reported from the article originally published in INC42.