2009-11-14 11:21:56 - Third Automation Tech 2009 held at Mumbai

Mumbai, November 14, 2009: At the third edition of the premier cross industry interface AUTOMATION TECH 2009, Automation experts unanimously agreed upon the need for collaborative auditing systems to realise full benefits from automation investments. Organised by Automation Industry Association (AIA) the theme for this years conference was Manufacturing Competitiveness and Sustainability.

While giving his keynote address Mr K Ravi Kumar, Former Chairman & Managing Director BHEL said "Manufacturing plants can be globally competitive if they adopt an integrated approach to automation. The concept of islands of Automation within a manufacturing facility is no longer relevant."

Endorsing the keynote speakers view Mr Ramnath S Mani – Chairman & CEO, Energys Software Pvt Ltd said “a key challenge for control

engineers is to step up and show manufacturers how to apply automation solutions for sustainable growth”

Delegates attending the conference interacted with the best Automation Industry innovators, solution partners and captains of Industry sharing their goals, experiences and concerns.

Speaking at the CEO Round table on “Sustainable Business Leadership and Role of Automation” Mr Vinayak Deshpande President & COO, Hindustan Construction Ltd said “The Indian Automaton Industry having gained experience in the manufacturing industries has to move ahead from being just product suppliers to main automation contractors (MACs). Mr Shyam Bang, Executive Director Jubilant Organosys Ltd added “This helps the manufacturing industry to partner with one company for all automation solutions instead of going in as a piecemeal approach”.

To deliver quality products that add value to the manufacturing industry Mr B Narayan, Group President Reliance Industries Limited was of the opinion that “Automation companies need to re-look at product development from a users perspective”

CEO’s at the roundtable agreed that the future of automation lies in holistic technology solutions that not only cater to the productivity, cost advantage and efficiency needs of the manufacturing plant, but also deliver value on safety and security, environment friendly and energy efficiency parameters.

“Automation absorption demands a service-oriented approach and the Indian automation companies need to go beyond product installation specially when it comes to critical processes in the manufacturing sector. said Mr R N Mohanty, Chief Technology Officer, Pidilite India. Acknowledging that the process and control dynamics in the manufacturing sector demands a long-term hand-holding Mr J P Singh, Executive VP, Electrical & Automation, Larsen & Toubro and Past President, AIA said that “The annual maintenance contract needs to be re-looked at as in its current format the customers are at bay when faced with technical grievances”. Mr Singh further continued that “AIA has a charter of working with smaller businesses and with less structured industry”

Commenting on the relatively low price realisation for automation technology in India, compared to China, Mr. Sunil Khanna, President - AIA-India & Managing Director, Emerson Process Management(I) Pvt. Ltd recommended that “companies that cater to the unique demands of users and empower them with low cost and value products, will gain a sustainable advantage as the Indian market growth climbs”

The CEO Round table was moderated by Mr Vimal Kapur Managing Director- Honeywell Automation India Limited & Vice-President AIA and Nishan Chandran of Infomedia 18 group.

The full day event witnessed several parallel tracks showcasing future directions and best practices adopted by leading companies Mr KV Rehani, , Head, Instrumentation & Control, Hindustan Unilever Limited chairing the session on Operational Excellence and Productivity spoke about the solution-centric relevance, whereas Mr BR Mehta, Sr VP, Reliance Industries Limited sounding an alert for plant owners to pay heed to increasing Security and Safety of Critical Assets. The Energy and Environment sessions featured new technologies and case studies from ACC, Tata Power and MPCB.

Companies that participated in the concurrent technology Expo included ABB, Chemtrols, Emerson Process Management, Invensys, Larsen & Toubro, Siemens, Endress + Hauser, Forbes Marshall and Honeywell.

Senior executives that were present at the event representing the automation industry included Mr. R. Vanamali. Executive Director – Chemtrols Industries Limited, Mr. Vijay Srinivasan, Managing Director, India Subcontinent Invensys India Pvt. Ltd, Mr. Vijay Vaman Paranjape, Director & Member Managing Board, Siemens Ltd., Mr. Sajiv Nath, Managing Director, Endress + Hauser India Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Ramani Iyer, Forbes Marshall Ltd., Mr. K. Nandkumar, CMD, Chemtrols Engg. Ltd.& Mr Anup Wadhwa Director AIA.

About Automation Industry Association
Automation Industry Association, AIA, founded in 2004, is a nodal body of over 50 leading automation companies. They provide global standard products, solutions and systems for 'real-time' plant and process measurement, analysis and execution. For further information please visit aia-india.org or automationtech.in