Industry 4.0 technologies critical for India’s pharma supply chains to combat COVID-19

Rockwell Automation recently organised an online forum titled ‘How Industry 4.0 can Strengthen India’s Pharma Sector’ where the company’s business leaders had insightful talks and virtual factory walkthroughs. They also deliberated on how manufacturers in the pharmaceuticals and life sciences sector were able to deal with complexity and scale of supply chain challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic using Industry 4.0 technologies, a company statement said.

It added, “The session also illustrated how manufacturers were able to streamline production of everything from hygiene products and protective gear to medical equipment and vaccines over the last year. It highlighted how new-age digital technologies have played a critical role in global vaccine discovery, production and distribution, despite facing unprecedented challenges with demand and supply shocks and regulatory hurdles at every stage.”

Dilip Sawhney, Managing Director, Rockwell Automation India, began the session with a talk on ‘How Industry 4.0 is enabling India to transform itself into the Pharmacy of the World.’ He explained how Indian drug makers and healthcare brands are transforming their businesses to achieve higher productivity amid rising complexity and compliance requirements. This was further demonstrated by a virtual guided tour of the Digital Transformation Experience Centre (DTEC) to give the attendees a glimpse into the future of the industry.

The session followed a presentation by Arvind Rao, Global Business Director, Information Software, titled with case studies from across the world. He took the audience through the entire Industry 4.0 digital transformation journey from the ‘static and manual’ towards a ‘self-organising, dynamic and demand-driven’ state across a range of solutions from operational technology, information technology, data and analytics, process, workforce and automation, to security.

Answering a question often raised by decision makers about where their companies should focus investments and how they should get started, Rao explained, “Many of the life sciences organisations we work with are searching for the business accelerant that will supercharge their performance. They believe digital transformation could be their answer but what’s more important than the specific technologies you’re considering are your objectives. The first step in digital transformation is achieving clarity on your business goal.”