The rules of manufacturing are being rewritten. We're in the age of Industry 4.0 where tech and innovation are redefining manufacturing processes. In this next episode of Welspun Leads, join Dipali Goenka, CEO and Joint MD of Welspun India as she takes you through the evolution of manufacturing in the current age and Welspun's initiatives to embrace the digital revolution.
[00:00:07] Hello and welcome back to Welspun Leads by Dipali Goenka.
[00:00:12] I'm Dipali, CEO and Joint Managing Director of Welspun India.
[00:00:16] Through this podcast, I will share my thoughts on various topics
[00:00:21] that are relevant to growing the company and industry at large.
[00:00:25] Join me in this journey as we move along diverse experiences
[00:00:31] and learnings in the era of digitization and doing business with the heart.
[00:00:37] Remember, when we used to go on field trips to study manufacturing setups
[00:00:41] like a textile mill or an automobile assembly line,
[00:00:45] weren't they fascinating trips for us?
[00:00:48] Today I'll take you on a tour not of a factory but of the manufacturing industry as a whole,
[00:00:54] both in India and around the world because,
[00:00:58] off late there has been so much happening in the manufacturing processes
[00:01:02] thanks to technology and innovation.
[00:01:06] Now, manufacturing rules are being rewritten
[00:01:09] as a result of digitization and an adaptable business mindset.
[00:01:15] We have of course come a long way from the Swadeshi movement
[00:01:19] started by Mahatma Gandhi when we spun yarn on the char kha
[00:01:23] and weaved cloth at home to wring in the Khadi movement
[00:01:27] and promote self-sufficiency in cloth making.
[00:01:32] However, to understand the growth of textile manufacturing,
[00:01:35] it is important to understand the history of industrialization itself.
[00:01:43] Mass production was not possible back then,
[00:01:46] but that changed in the 18th century with the arrival of the first industrial revolution
[00:01:51] of industry 1.0 when steam-generated power was used
[00:01:56] and the production was mechanized.
[00:01:59] The textile industry benefited the most
[00:02:02] because steam engine powered weaving looms replaced handmade textile products
[00:02:07] and allowed mass production to begin.
[00:02:10] This was followed by the second industrial revolution or industry 2.0
[00:02:16] a century later when electricity was introduced
[00:02:19] an assembly line production using conveyor belts became the norm,
[00:02:24] a practice that Henry Ford used to mass produce his cars.
[00:02:29] Then in the latter half of the 20th century,
[00:02:32] computers made their big debut,
[00:02:35] a string in industry 3.0 because of digital process automation
[00:02:40] where production processes began to take place without human intervention.
[00:02:47] Robotics began to be used in manufacturing.
[00:02:51] The technology boom of the 2000s revolutionized business
[00:02:55] by improving communications systems, processes, data analysis
[00:03:01] and pretty much every other aspect.
[00:03:04] It enabled a dynamic market by opening up new ideas and products.
[00:03:10] A digital revolution replaced process, excellence approaches
[00:03:14] such as lean, Six Sigma and others
[00:03:17] resulting in new business models that increased efficiency and instilled change.
[00:03:24] It was predicted that this was not a fad
[00:03:27] and 71% of global CEOs hold in IBM's 2012 CEO Global Survey,
[00:03:34] identify technology as the top external force of change.
[00:03:44] Since 2011, we have been living in the fourth industrial revolution
[00:03:49] also known as industry 4.0 which has brought together cyber and physical systems
[00:03:55] machines capable of exchanging real-time information
[00:03:59] for decision making over the industrial Internet of Things, IoT, and now a reality.
[00:04:05] Industry 4.0 is built on nine technology pillars
[00:04:09] such as cloud computing, IoT, artificial intelligence,
[00:04:14] big data science, 3D printings, 5G, drones, communications and so on.
[00:04:21] All of which are used to increase productivity in manufacturing processes.
[00:04:27] Over and above previous human machine interactions,
[00:04:31] real-time machine communication is now possible.
[00:04:36] In India the government is keen to develop new policy frameworks
[00:04:40] for emerging technologies.
[00:04:42] The national manufacturing policy NMP of India has been promulgated
[00:04:48] to increase manufacturing share of GDP to 25%
[00:04:53] and industry 4.0 is the only way to accomplish this goal.
[00:05:00] In India, the textile sector has always been at the forefront of innovation.
[00:05:05] Today, the textile industry accounts for 14% of total industrial output,
[00:05:11] 30% of total exports and 4% of India's GDP
[00:05:15] and is the second largest source of employment after agriculture.
[00:05:20] The need of the R is to incorporate technology and innovation into the manufacturing process,
[00:05:26] which is what WellSpin has been working on.
[00:05:29] For example, we have developed WellTrack, a patented end-to-end traceability process.
[00:05:36] This proprietary revolutionary and industry defining process
[00:05:40] allows traceability of any product back to its fiber source,
[00:05:45] using a cutting edge solution, providing transparency and real-time information.
[00:05:51] WellSpin is one of the largest exporter form textiles.
[00:05:55] As a matter of fact, WellSpin Advanced Textiles has ventured
[00:05:59] into the emerging field of technical textiles.
[00:06:02] The state-of-art spun lace and needle punch technology at the core,
[00:06:06] innovative and specially customized products
[00:06:09] are offered to global customer base in personal hygiene,
[00:06:13] fem care, various industrial filtration and composite applications.
[00:06:18] Cotton is the most important component of Indian textiles.
[00:06:22] The production of raw cotton in the country
[00:06:25] is critical to the success of the textile industry.
[00:06:29] Sustainability, conscious companies have introduced processes
[00:06:33] to ensure that their cotton is organically produced.
[00:06:37] WellSpin is one such company that has led the way in sustainable farming
[00:06:42] under our initiative WellCrishy.
[00:06:44] We are working with 16,000 farmers and total land of 1.5 lakh acres
[00:06:49] in three states on growing organic cotton as well as better cotton,
[00:06:53] where sustainability is the center of cotton cultivation practices.
[00:06:58] This initiative is enabling us to move towards climate smart
[00:07:02] and regenerative agriculture by adopting practices
[00:07:06] to improve carbon sequestration in the soil.
[00:07:10] In each village, 30 to 35 farmers form a learning group
[00:07:16] and an expert field team of 65 people is helping farmers
[00:07:20] across the season on adopting integrated nutrient
[00:07:23] and pest management practices
[00:07:25] and working towards enhancing water use efficiency and biodiversity.
[00:07:31] Hygro cotton, a much-loaded innovation,
[00:07:34] is made with a proprietary spinning technology
[00:07:37] that results in yarn with a revolutionary hollow core.
[00:07:41] As a result, hygro cotton towels feature quick-try technology
[00:07:46] making the product softer, fluffier
[00:07:48] and more absorbent after each wash.
[00:07:52] The patented process makes bedsheets more breathable,
[00:07:55] wicks of emersure, adjusts to the temperature
[00:07:59] and softens with each wash,
[00:08:02] allowing the customer to sleep cool and comfortably.
[00:08:06] The company also obtained the interactive textile article
[00:08:10] and augmented reality system
[00:08:13] patent for its new smart textile product line,
[00:08:16] dubbed Spentails.
[00:08:18] It has also been successful in establishing
[00:08:21] an ecosystem of universities, technology partners
[00:08:25] and industry associations
[00:08:27] to continuously develop new products and processes.
[00:08:32] Another feather in the cap is the same day flooring solutions
[00:08:35] with click-and-lock tiles,
[00:08:37] which are an intelligent step ahead
[00:08:39] for additional flooring solutions.
[00:08:41] These floor tiles designed with the innovative,
[00:08:44] well-locked technology
[00:08:46] allow for installation of floor tiles
[00:08:49] on the existing floors in less than a day.
[00:08:51] So by incorporating innovation and technology
[00:08:55] into the manufacturing process,
[00:08:57] we have revolutionized the flooring industry.
[00:09:04] Though the textile industry
[00:09:06] has always been a tough business,
[00:09:08] it has always adapted to changing trends
[00:09:11] and worked to re-skill its workforce.
[00:09:14] While we wait to see what the future holds,
[00:09:16] the need of the R is to adopt a lifelong learning mindset
[00:09:20] in order to stay relevant.
[00:09:22] Well-Spun is clearly ahead
[00:09:24] in capitalizing on this trend.
[00:09:26] Thanks to its early start.
[00:09:29] I hope you found this story interesting.
[00:09:33] Do like, share and subscribe
[00:09:35] for more such insights in the coming months.
[00:09:39] Till then, take care and stay healthy.