Rockwell Automation - Shaping the Future of Smart Automotive Manufacturing

#SmartManufacturing2026 #AutomotiveInnovation #RockwellAutomation #DigitalTransformation #AIinManufacturing #SustainableAutomotive #FutureOfMobility #ProMFGMedia #Industry40

May 2026 : Factories aren't just rows of machines anymore; they’ve become smart, connected digital hubs. To help navigate this shift, Rockwell Automation and Pro MFG Media brought together industry leaders in Pune for the Smart Manufacturing Automotive Summit 2026.

With a central theme of "Driving the Future of Automotive Manufacturing in India" the summit wasn't just a meeting - it was a roadmap for the "Factory to the World."

The event started with a warm welcome from Dilip Sawhney, Managing Director of Rockwell Automation India. Mr. Sawhney framed the automotive sector as the backbone of India's journey toward a $30 trillion economy. He also emphasized moving beyond simple automation toward "software-defined manufacturing," where AI-driven data helps leaders make faster, better decisions. The message was clear: success now depends on leadership maturity and the agility to integrate digital threads across the entire value chain to ensure long-term resilience.

Dilip Sawhney, Managing Director - Rockwell Automation India

Following this, Laurent Delabarre, Group CFO and Executive Committee Member at Rexel Group, delivered a special address providing strategic insights on global industrial trends.

Mr. Delabarre highlighted that digital manufacturing is not just about technology, but about better leadership and smarter decision-making. He focused on how manufacturers can improve productivity, quality, resilience, and growth through clear business goals, faster decision-making, and stronger collaboration across the ecosystem. He also emphasized India’s growing opportunity to strengthen its position in global manufacturing through disciplined execution and digital transformation.Mr. Delabarre highlighted that digital manufacturing is not just about technology, but about better leadership and smarter decision-making. He focused on how manufacturers can improve productivity, quality, resilience, and growth through clear business goals, faster decision-making, and stronger collaboration across the ecosystem. He also emphasized India’s growing opportunity to strengthen its position in global manufacturing through disciplined execution and digital transformation.

Laurent Delabarre, Group CFO and Executive Committee Member - Rexel Group

The highlight of the morning - the keynote address by Dr. Prashant Bhat, Head of AI CoE at Tata Motors. His session, "The Cognitive Renaissance: Unleashing the Positive Power of AI in India's Automotive Future," reframed AI as the automotive industry’s primary engine rather than a luxury. He explored a $150Bn opportunity, moving beyond basic automation toward generative design and predictive supply chains, positioning AI as the core driver of India’s smart, sustainable manufacturing future.

Dr. Prashant Bhat, Head of AI CoE - Tata Motors

The summit featured two powerhouse panels that tackle the most pressing "shop floor to top floor" challenges. The first panel discussion on the topic- Accelerating Decision-Making on the Shop Floor with AI, Edge Computing & Real-Time Analytics was moderated by Manish Kulkarni (Co-Founder, Pro MFG Media).

The panelists included: Chandrakant Dange, President - ZF Steering Gear, Nitin Chugh, CEO - Automation Sparkline, Kedar Taskar, Managing Director - Faurecia Clean Mobility India, Raghuraj Deshpande, Managing Director - Thyssenkrupp Automotive Body Solutions, Dr. Maruti Khaire, President R&D (CTO) - Advik Hi-Tech, Rahul Yadav, VP - Excellence in Manufacturing - Anand Group and Divya Mishra, Technical Director - Rockwell Automation India.

Panel 1 focused on creating autonomous shop floors by using edge computing to turn data into instant action. This shift decentralizes intelligence, allowing for faster decisions that ramp up production. By tracking metrics like OEE, AI-driven factories move beyond simple logging to actively optimizing every part of the manufacturing process.

Adding to the practical side of the day, Sreekanth S R, DGM - Digital Manufacturing at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., led a session focused on the end-user perspective. The presentation focused on shifting from simple automation to connected intelligence. Key takeaways included using real-time data to boost OEE and adopting AI for predictive maintenance. While cybersecurity and scalability remain challenges, the future belongs to factories that effectively integrate secure, sustainable, and collaborative intelligence.

Sreekanth S R, DGM - Digital Manufacturing at Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd

Beyond the discussions, the summit offered practical "how-to" sessions. Rockwell Automation’s Prakash Balaguru and Sumeet Bobhate presented on Accelerating Time to Market, emphasizing the critical role of agility and consulting.

The presentation focused on how agile manufacturing, AI, MES, digital twins, and consulting services can help companies improve productivity, reduce costs, and speed up time to market. The session also highlighted practical use cases, digital transformation strategies, and the importance of IT-OT integration for future-ready manufacturing operations.

Prakash Balaguru and Sumeet Bobhate

The second panel discussion on the topic- High-Performance Manufacturing - Quality & Sustainability Through Automation & AI. This panel explored the "twin transition" of going digital while staying green.

The lineup features: Vinod Bhat, CDO - Tata AutoComp Systems, Rajesh Dubbewar, EVP & SBU Head - Lumax Auto Technologies, Sanjeev Varma, Head - Manufacturing Digital Team - Mahindra & Mahindra, Mandar Sahasrabudhe, Group CTO - Kirloskar Management Services, Dr. Prashant Bhat - Tata Motors, Dr. Hardik Shah, Global CSCO - Wipro PARI, Ashwani Nigam, Managing Director - Fori Automation and Neville Thomas Dsouza, National Sales Leader - Rockwell Automation India.

This discussion showed how AI moves quality from just finding mistakes to predicting them, while sustainability creates real business value. To scale these wins, companies must balance new tech with a culture that supports workforce change.

Bringing another layer of technical expertise to the stage, Navin Kumar R K, General Manager of Electrical Design at ATS Conveyors India Pvt. Ltd., delivered an OEM customer presentation. The presentation showcased ATS’s automotive conveyor and material handling solutions, manufacturing capabilities, and key industry projects. It highlighted automation, advanced technologies, and efficient systems supporting modern automotive production and operations.

Navin Kumar R K, General Manager, Electrical Design - ATS Conveyors India Pvt. Ltd

Priyanka Abrol, Head of Marketing at Rockwell Automation India, outlined a strategic "Way Forward" for the industry. While summarizing, she highlighted how AI, edge computing, and connected technologies are transforming automotive manufacturing. She also emphasized on real-time decision-making, sustainable and high-quality production, workforce upskilling, and the importance of delivering measurable business outcomes through digital transformation.

Priyanka encouraged continued collaboration and learning through interactive post-lunch activities, live demos, and networking opportunities.

Navin Kumar R K, General Manager, Electrical Design - ATS Conveyors India Pvt. Ltd

During the post lunch session, the energy shifted towards a more hands-on and interactive afternoon. To get everyone’s gears turning, there was an Interactive Quiz, offering a fun but competitive way to test the day's insights. This was followed by the RA Insights Exchange, a dedicated space for deeper dives into the technical nuances of the summit's themes.

Priyanka Abrol, Head of Marketing - Rockwell Automation India

The Live Demos and Networking session was a massive crowd-puller, turning the event floor into a high-energy hub of activity. Attendees experienced the tech firsthand, moving from speeches to real-world applications while sparking vital connections with the innovators and peers currently redefining India’s automotive manufacturing landscape.

As the automotive manufacturing ecosystem in India is evolving, this summit serves as a vital bridge between legacy expertise and future-ready innovation.

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