The Technology Advisory Group (TAG) constituted by the Empowered Technology Group (ETG) convened its second meeting today under the chairmanship of Professor Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, to discuss the landscape, opportunities, and necessary interventions for strengthening advanced manufacturing in India.

(PSA Prof Sood opening the session and delivering his initial remarks)

The meeting brought together members of the TAG (comprising of 9 members from academia and 10 members from industry) (https://www.psa.gov.in/etg), members of the ETG, senior government officials, and domain experts to discuss ongoing activities and initiatives in advanced manufacturing in India, comparative analysis of the global landscape, and development of a coordinated national roadmap to accelerate manufacturing innovation.

In his address, Professor Sood highlighted the recently announced National Manufacturing Mission in the Union Budget 2025, which is aimed at advancing India as a global manufacturing hub. He underscored the critical role of the ETG in identifying the most important challenges before the country across various sectors that can be addressed through suitable and appropriate technologies and the expert advisory support provided by the TAG, in fulfilling its Nation Building responsibilities. He  noted that discussions on several key topics in the first TAG meeting, such as Alternative Battery Technologies, Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), have contributed to significant national initiatives, including the AI mission, Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) MAHA-EV mission, and the CCUS mission.

Prof. Sood emphasized that today’s discussions on Advanced Manufacturing are aimed at identifying key technologies and bottlenecks across the value chain—from design and production to sustainability and end-of-life considerations—to enhance efficiency, quality, sustainability and competitiveness. He emphasized that advanced manufacturing aligns closely with the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat, ensuring self-reliance and global leadership in critical sectors.

Dr. Preeti Banzal, Adviser/Scientist ‘G’ at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, provided an overview of the ETG, outlining its mandate and functioning and the establishment of the TAG within its framework. Since its inception in February 2020, the ETG has conducted 65 meetings, evaluating 122 R&D, technology development/procurement and policy proposals from 27 ministries and engaging 153 subject matter experts to provide insights and recommendations for driving advancements in science, technology and innovation. She also highlighted key aspects of advanced manufacturing technologies, their strategic significance and latest developments from a national perspective.

The meeting featured in-depth presentations from leading experts covering critical dimensions of advanced manufacturing:

Dr. Nagahanumaiah, Director, Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI), Bangalore, presented on "Engineering of Smart Capital Goods", focusing on India’s competitiveness in advanced manufacturing and the role of smart automation in shaping the future. He also gave an overview of the products developed and facilities at CMTI.

Dr. Gurumurthy, Director, Foundation for Science Innovation and Development (FSID), IISc Bengaluru, discussed "Digitalized Manufacturing", emphasizing additive and hybrid manufacturing, smart Industrial IoT systems, and predictive maintenance using digital twin technology.

Dr. Sankhadip Das, Scientist E, Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), delivered insights on "Additive Manufacturing", highlighting its applications in aerospace, defense, healthcare, and automotive sectors, and its alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He also talked about the National Strategy for Additive Manufacturing (NSAM) launched by MeitY in 2022.

Mr. Atul Choudhari, CTO, Tata Consulting Engineers Limited and Member of TAG, presented on "3D Concrete Printing using Construction Waste", showcasing sustainable solutions for cost-effective, eco-friendly infrastructure development.

Prof. Kaushik Chatterjee, Chair, Department of Bioengineering, IISc Bengaluru, elucidated the new frontier of "4D Printing" and its applications in healthcare, including microrobots and deployable medical devices.

Dr. N. Subramanian, Executive Director, Society for Electronic Transactions and Security (SETS) gave insights on the cybersecurity aspects of advanced manufacturing.

The interventions thereafter resulted in insights and recommendations to strengthen the overall ecosystem for the advanced manufacturing sector in the country. The discussion highlighted the need for a nationally coordinated effort to accelerate advanced manufacturing capabilities, stakeholder collaboration between government, industry, and academia, capacity building and skill development to create a globally competitive workforce.

Dr. (Mrs.) Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, summarised the key points which emerged during the discussions, including the need for shared infrastructure, skilled workforce, addressing core technology issues, building capability centres close to manufacturing centres, creation of sensor hubs, regulatory alignments, creation of standards and coherent policies on advanced manufacturing.   

In his closing remarks, Prof. Sood reiterated that a structured and strategic approach to advanced manufacturing would be a key enabler for India's long-term industrial growth, and ambitions towards a robust product nation, aligning with the broader objectives of the National Manufacturing Mission.

 

***

MJPS/ST

(Release ID: 2104455) Visitor Counter : 1712