Industry 4.0 in India: Adoption Barriers & the Path to Global Competitiveness

Amey Vaze’s Profile

India talks a lot about Industry 4.0 but its adoption isn’t keeping pace with the hype.

The biggest roadblock isn’t technology. It’s the mindset.

Tools like IoT, AI, and Digital Twins have become affordable. Yet companies hesitate to adopt them

Why is that?

Because transformation isn’t just about acquiring new machines. It emphasises systems thinking, cultural change, and leadership clarity.

The common barriers that I have observed include:

• Resistance to process change:

Industry 4.0 means an increase in automation. This makes people question whether it could take their jobs.

Integrating newer systems also means discarding the traditional modes of working. People are displaying cultural resistance to using these new methods.

Hence organisations need structured change management. They need leadership clarity to aid the teams to see automation as an enabler and not as a threat.

• Skills gaps across teams:

Industry 4.0 demands high-end skills across complex technologies like IoT, cloud computing, AI and machine learning.

People are yet to align their skills with the level of these technologies.

Hence upskilling programs aligned with organizational goals are essential.

• Fragmented, tool-first adoption with no holistic roadmap:

There is a lack of structure and organisation when it comes to learning these technologies.

Companies need to understand the basics first. They need to create roadmaps to adopt them one by one rather than bombarding themselves with complex tools all at once.

If we want to compete globally, Indian manufacturers must approach Industry 4.0 as an enterprise-wide shift — integrating people, processes, and technology in a phased, outcome-driven manner.

The question is: Are we ready to transform our mindsets before we retool our factories?

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What do you see as India’s biggest barrier to Industry 4.0 adoption?

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