Transforming Manufacturing through Digital Innovation: How Generative AI, Automation, and Cybersecurity are Shaping the Future
In an exclusive interview, Ashok Tiwari, CIO of Finolex Cables, shares insights into the company’s ambitious digital transformation journey. Leading this charge, Tiwari has been instrumental in implementing advanced technologies that are reshaping manufacturing processes to boost efficiency, quality, and customer satisfaction. Finolex Cables has adopted generative AI for predictive analytics and digital twin models, providing real-time insights that help optimise operations. Tiwari’s digital strategy also includes process automation across key systems and mobile applications that enhance team collaboration. Recognising the critical role of cybersecurity, he has built a comprehensive framework to safeguard data integrity and system availability. Looking forward, Tiwari is set to drive new digital initiatives that will further strengthen Finolex Cables’ position as an industry leader in a competitive, fast-evolving landscape.
Can you take us through some of the recent digital initiatives you have taken? What has been the impact?
Digital transformation in manufacturing is a comprehensive process where organisations integrate new digital technologies to enhance every element of production and customer support. This shift can be undertaken through a broad, wholesale approach or through more gradual, piece-by-piece implementation. At the core of this evolution are software applications and digitisation, which are reshaping manufacturing at every level. At Finolex Cables, our digital initiatives are already improving operational efficiency, elevating customer experiences, generating new revenue streams, and fortifying support systems. A key example is the integration of automation within our manufacturing processes. By minimising manual intervention and reducing errors, automation accelerates production timelines and ensures we deliver consistent, high-quality products to our customers. Additionally, the deployment of mobile applications across various teams has enabled seamless communication and instant access to information, which empowers our employees to make well-informed, timely decisions.
Another central component of our digital transformation is process automation within our ERP systems, which has streamlined complex workflows and relieved employees of time-consuming administrative tasks. This automation not only boosts efficiency but enhances data accuracy—crucial for informed decision-making. Furthermore, by automating knowledge work, we’ve been able to optimise areas like data analysis, reporting, and customer service, allowing us to respond to client needs more quickly and effectively. Together, these digital initiatives reflect our commitment to leveraging technology for operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and sustainable growth. This approach positions Finolex Cables as a forward-thinking leader ready to meet the demands of a dynamic, competitive market.
What are some of the areas in which you are using generative AI? What impact does it have?
The impact of digital transformation in manufacturing is profound, driving improvements in customer satisfaction, product quality, and on-time delivery—critical factors that boost revenue and promote sustainability. One of the key goals of this transformation is to reduce operational costs, helping organisations remain competitive in a fast-evolving market. This shift is essential for meeting the changing needs of customers and keeping pace with strong industry competitors. By enhancing output quality, digital tools help reduce product rework and warranty issues, leading to more reliable products and heightened customer satisfaction. Simultaneously, process efficiency improvements have a positive impact on employee productivity, as streamlined workflows and robust systems make operations more predictable and resilient. Moreover, digital processes offer the advantage of real-time manufacturing data, allowing organisations to capture insights instantaneously. This data is invaluable not only for quick, reactive responses but also for enabling predictive analytics that improve future processes and product quality. The ability to analyse current trends and anticipate potential issues ensures that manufacturing decisions are well-informed and agile, contributing to continuous improvement.
Finolex Cables has adopted a Continuous Improvement System (CIS), a foundational element of its business strategy. By embedding CIS into daily operations, the company continually strives for enhancements driven by technology, going beyond what human efforts alone could achieve. This focus on perpetual improvement has enabled Finolex Cables to reach new levels of operational efficiency and maintain a sustainable, forward-looking approach in a competitive market.
How do you plan to integrate AI strategically into the organisation’s IT roadmap, and what challenges do you foresee in this implementation?
Develop a clear AI strategy aligned with business objectives. The foundation of successful AI integration lies in creating a comprehensive roadmap that aligns with your overall business goals. This approach increases the likelihood that your AI initiatives will deliver measurable results and create real value. This approach increases the likelihood that your AI initiatives will deliver measurable results and create real value. Begin by conducting a thorough AI readiness assessment and evaluating your organisation’s AI maturity. Identify areas that can benefit most from AI and prioritise high-impact projects. Define clear KPIs to measure ROI and track progress.
How do you see the traction for GenAI in the industry? Is your company leveraging it?
Generative AI has the potential to revolutionise the innovation process for manufacturing companies. By leveraging machine learning algorithms, this technology can analyse vast amounts of data, including market trends, customer preferences, and historical performance, to identify patterns and generate new ideas. GenAI enables the creation of digital twins—virtual replicas of physical assets or processes. By using generative AI algorithms for real-time data analysis from sensors and other sources, manufacturers can create accurate digital representations of their products, production lines, or entire factories. Yes, we have started the journey of GenAI in some parts of the business processes, I believe it will surely help business in that area. There is lots of potential we are exploring to use GenAI.
With the increasing importance of cybersecurity, what measures are organisations taking to ensure the security and integrity of their IT systems and sensitive data?
The shift toward a digitally integrated architecture raises essential questions about cybersecurity, particularly around disaster recovery and resiliency planning. With an expanded digital footprint, organisations now manage a much richer set of operational data that is both distributed and redundant, supported by powerful predictive analytics. These capabilities simplify the task of preventing or recovering from system outages but also enlarge the cybersecurity attack surface, requiring a reimagined approach to both IT and OT (Operational Technology) security. In this context, confidentiality becomes paramount, with a primary focus on controlling physical assets to ensure their secure and continuous operation. This objective often supersedes other concerns in IT and OT cybersecurity. Next in priority is integrity, as company data is proprietary intellectual property; safeguarding these digital assets from both competitors and corruption is a fundamental goal. Maintaining data integrity ensures that critical information remains unaltered and secure, reinforcing its value and trustworthiness. Finally, availability is crucial, especially for IT and OT systems supporting critical infrastructure that needs to be operational 24/7/365. Ensuring availability upholds system integrity, promoting safety and reliability. While confidentiality is less of a priority for OT data, its secure and continuous availability is essential to maintaining operational resilience and trust.
In the next six months to one year, what are some of the new digital or technology initiatives planned?
There are multiple projects in the pipeline, digital initiatives are the current demand of the ecosystem, So considering that we have to keep our pace going and keep evaluating new areas of impairment and keep improving.
