From Smart Manufacturing Plants to AI-Driven Innovation: Mandar Sahasrabudhe, Group CTO on how the Kirloskar Group is leveraging technology
From implementing smart manufacturing solutions and connected plants to leveraging Industrial IoT for predictive maintenance, the Kirloskar Group is redefining operational efficiency and setting new benchmarks for excellence. In this insightful conversation, Mandar Sahasrabudhe, Group CTO, Kirloskar Management Services, delves into the Group’s journey of digital transformation, exploring how advanced technologies like AI, Industrial IoT, and smart manufacturing are being deployed to enhance productivity and optimize resource utilization. He also shares valuable perspectives on the role of Generative AI in shaping the future of manufacturing and the critical cybersecurity measures necessary for safeguarding digital assets in today’s increasingly connected world.
Some edited excerpts from the interview:
How is the Kirloskar Group leveraging digital technologies to optimize manufacturing processes and improve operational efficiency across its businesses? Can you share some examples?
The Kirloskar Group has always been a pioneer when it comes to adoption of Next generation technology. We have conceptualized an idea of Smart Plant which is a consolidation of connected testing, connected stores, connected machines etc. In short, all pockets in manufacturing plants are digitalised wherever possible to gain advantage of operational efficiency improvement and add value to business with cost optimisation. Some of the examples could be an Uber/Ola type based application to book a forklift which ensures fuel efficiency as well cost optimisation and efficient use of resource at hand. It also allows for every shop floor department to use these forklift services diligently considering the fact that it is tied to their cost centre for usage.
The second example is of Vehicle tracking system which comprises of vehicle entry in plant till it goes out after unloading. Implementation of RPA/BOTS integrating with OT apps gave us a reduction of almost 75% time. This means that, if earlier it took 30 minutes for one vehicle to enter, unload and come out, it was reduced to 7~8 min (excluding unloading time). In short, all processes were automated using fast tag with the process improving efficiency of operator at gate, store person checking ASN vs ERP entries for invoices, stock etc. These are some examples which we have deployed.
How has the implementation of Industrial IoT and smart manufacturing technologies impacted production quality, predictive maintenance, and operational uptime at Kirloskar?
Industrial IoT and smart manufacturing technologies have significantly enhanced the customer experience by enabling predictive maintenance in our connected products deployed in the market, as well as improving the uptime of our products at customer sites. For example, these technologies have helped boost spare parts sales by allowing field engineers to receive alerts about potential component failures. This enables them to complete all necessary documentation before a part fails and ensures that the spare part reaches the customer site in time, preventing any production line downtime. Internally, at our plants, connected machine IoT deployments have also increased uptime, saving almost six hours per shift.
How do you see Generative AI influencing the future of the manufacturing sector? Are there any areas within Kirloskar where this technology is being explored?
Generative AI is beginning to disrupt various domains with its transformative use cases. In the manufacturing sector, it has been beneficial across several areas, including data analytics, single-pane dashboarding, and AI applications for manufacturing and engineering processes, as well as functions like HR and legal. AI for infrastructure is improving hardware utilization, thereby enhancing overall efficiency. At Kirloskar, we have initiated AI deployment projects across different functions, enabling them to leverage AI for efficiency improvements and inference-based projects.
In light of recent cybersecurity incidents, what best practices would you recommend for fellow CIOs and CISOs?
In my opinion, CISOs and CIOs need to be more proactive in leveraging technologies to predict potential vulnerabilities in existing security setups, solutions, or OT-IT data security. Staying ahead of hackers is critical. They should also adopt the best frameworks available in the market to benchmark security levels and plan for security maturity.
What are some of the key digital initiatives that you are excited about in the next 6 to 12 months, and what potential impact could they have?
The key technologies and digital initiatives that hold immense potential impact across industries include AI, AI-ML, 5G networks with edge servers, multi-cloud connectivity, and OT-IT data security. These technologies are poised to drive significant transformations in efficiency, connectivity, and security.
