By Salloni Ghodawat, Director, Ghodawat Consumer Ltd
India, a predominantly agrarian country, has seen a drastic transition in its economic structure in the past several decades. By contributing 17 per cent to the nation’s GDP, the manufacturing industry is emerging as an integral part of India’s economic growth, as reported by India Brand Equity Foundation. While urban cities have always been the core pillars of this growing manufacturing landscape, there has been a shift in focus where the nation is initiating industrial practices in rural areas. Government policies, technological advancements and initiatives to empower rural areas also play an important role in this major industrial shift. This phenomenon, in turn, has far-reaching effects on employment, economic equity, and sustainable development.
Today, manufacturing continues to be one of the major sources of livelihood for people in rural India. Following trade liberalisation, import competition increased for many Indian businesses, prompting them to seek out cost-effective strategies. One such strategy to save money was to relocate certain activities from cities to rural areas with lower wage expenses. This move eventually helped to offset the loss of jobs in several traditional rural sectors. Hence, the expansion of rural manufacturing with the creation of new jobs offers an economic foundation for the transition beyond agriculture.
While the creation of jobs has helped to enhance rural manufacturing, novel technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning remain at the forefront. The integration of these technologies has not only increased the efficiency of the processes but effectively reduced the downtime, resulting in substantial gains. This is quite evident in the manufacturing processes of the FMCG industry, where integration of AI is pivotal to operational excellence, especially in rural areas.
AI in food manufacturing: A novel frontier in efficiency and sustainability
Food manufacturers face several issues, such as inconsistent quality control, inefficient operations, rising labour expenses, concerns about food safety, and the requirement for enhanced traceability. In such situations, AI aids manufacturers in dealing with challenges and presenting innovative solutions. The food sector automation techniques assist businesses in addressing prevalent issues while also increasing efficiency and production. These systems are capable of processing massive amounts of data to optimise manufacturing schedules, forecast demand trends and improve supply chain management. On the other hand, robots also assist in automating numerous food manufacturing processes.
Here’s a look at some of the ways in which robotics are utilised in food manufacturing:
Automated packaging: Robots can assist food manufacturers in picking, placing and sealing tasks. Additionally, they are also capable of handling fragile food items with precision, minimising product damage. This way, it leads to a reduction in errors, optimum package quality and enhances process speed.
Sorting and inspection: Robots can identify defects, and sort products on the basis of size, colour and shape while removing any contaminated items from the production line. This, in turn, assists manufacturers in maintaining product quality and comply safety standards.
Material handling: Automation food technologies assist businesses in transporting ingredients, raw materials, and finished goods within the manufacturing unit, decreasing manual labour and lowering the risks of product contamination. They also automate container loading and unloading, which helps manufacturers to optimise supply chain processes.
Assembling and processing: Robots are used in a variety of food processing and assembling applications. For instance, they execute precision cutting, trimming and deboning tasks in meat processing, which improves uniformity and reduces waste.
Sanitation and hygiene: With advanced cleaning attachments, robots can automate sanitation tasks and reduce cross-contamination risks. Clean manufacturing equipment, surfaces, and conveyor belts are used to meet demanding food safety regulations.
In conclusion, the adoption of AI and robots has resulted in the evolution of the manufacturing industry while increasing its efficiency and production. In rural regions, technology developments have also helped to simplify complicated operations and assist workers in managing their workloads. As a result, the rural manufacturing industry is becoming well-positioned to compete in the global market while also improving the national economy.