1. What are your thoughts on how technology is driving change in the automotive industry?
The automotive industry is witnessing transformative changes both in terms of design and manufacturing. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are playing a significant role in driving the future of the automotive industry. These technologies are enabling automobiles to provide personalized driving experiences. Predictive capabilities are now becoming prevalent in cars.

Newer technologies have also transformed the manufacturing of automotive parts. For instance, under Industry 4.0, Continental has implemented Augmented Reality (AR) for remote assistance and problem-solving, Artificial Intelligence (AI) for facial detection of quality inspectors, Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) for material movement on the shop floor and Cobots to undertake the repetitive tasks.

2. How is the sustainability of the innovations making the lives of consumers easier?
Technology is enhancing quality-of-life and improving the efficiency of transportation systems. Connected and autonomous vehicles have great potential for reducing road fatalities and bettering the driving experience. On the automotive manufacturing front, technological progression has enabled our shop floor to operate more innovatively.

For example, robotic arm and Cobots (collaborative robots) are employed for multiple industrial applications such as welding, drilling, and painting, etc. The AR-enabled remote assistance and problem-solving avert unanticipated production downtime or perhaps help in fixing breakdowns in the shortest possible timeframe. These modern practices assure a highly optimized production process that results in quality and reliable products for consumers.

3. What is the scope of influence by the union government’s initiatives like Make in India?
Manufacturing initiatives like Make in India is always a good boost to the

industry, promoting localization, opportunity to leverage exports, and complementing ease of doing business in the country. Localization has always been one of the keys focuses for Continental, and in the past few years, we have localized manufacturing of various technologies across all our business areas.

Last year we accomplished significant milestones, for example, at our Bangalore plant we achieved production landmark of 1 million instrument clusters and ECUs for ABS and ESC, we announced a capacity expansion for airbag control units. Our Manesar plant completed production of 1 million speed sensors a month, further expanded capacity to meet growing demand. Soon we will be inaugurating two of our greenfield projects in Pune.

On the R&D front, a dedicated engineering team at Technical Center India (TCI) designs, develops, and validates products specific to the market and customer requirements. TCI today supports end-to-end product development from requirement engineering to product build-up and testing in particular areas encompassing software, electronics, and mechanics.

4. What strategy should an Automotive industry adopt to position its growth?
Clearly, the answer is industry 4.0. However,It is an effort intense process; transforming the shop floor into a smart factory is not an overnight job. Digitization of documents,machines, integrating people and processes,and up-skilling the workforce, etc., will be the immediate priorities. Once these are achieved, the automotive industry will reap benefits in the form of optimized production, cost, quality, and value.

5. Where are we heading in terms of the future of the industry, market behavior, and technological advancements?
The trend is moving towards automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies and processes which include, industrial internet of things (IIOT), cloud computing, cognitive computing, and artificial intelligence.

Smarter factories upgrade the role of operators, increases the scope and quality of work, turn the manufacturing practices more sustainable, flexible, and cost-efficient, and will require smart leaders to manage them.Thus, it is evident the kind of significance Industry 4.0 brings to the business and the industry overall in terms of better customer satisfaction and enhanced ecosystem.

6. On a concluding note, based on your robust industry experience and knowledge, what message do you want to put across to the readers/ investors/ business partners/start-ups?
The manufacturing industry will continue to evolve, from the traditional hard-labouring factory environment, we will move ahead to experience the tech-savviness and smart aspects of Industry 4.0. The role of people at the shop floor will advance from performing mundane mechanical work to data analysis, intelligent decision making, creatively using AI, and achieving operational excellence.