Mr. Vir S. Advani
Chairman, CII Western Region; Chairman and Managing Director
Blue Star India Ltd.
Roundtable FlagshipConcludedIn-Person
CEO Roundtable on Advanced Manufacturing
Automation to Autonomy: Shaping India's Manufacturing Future with Human-Centric AI
13 Jul 2026Mumbai6:00 pm – 7:30 pmMSME
Overview
Automation to Autonomy: Shaping India's Manufacturing Future with Human-Centric AI
The CEO Roundtable on Advanced Manufacturing, chaired by Mr Vir S Advani, Chairman, CII Western Region, and Chairman & Managing Director, Blue Star India Ltd., brought together Indian and US industry leaders to discuss AI, advanced manufacturing, automation, resilient supply chains, and India–US collaboration. Mr Advani highlighted the shift towards autonomous, AI-enabled, human-centric manufacturing and India’s Viksit Bharat @2047 ambitions.
Mr Rahul Garg, Chairman, CII Special Task Force on Advanced Manufacturing, and Founder & CEO, Moglix, highlighted the long-standing CII–NAM partnership and India’s goal of increasing manufacturing’s GDP contribution from 17–18% to 25% by 2047. He emphasized opportunities arising from global supply-chain shifts, the transformative role of AI, and deeper India–US collaboration, referring to the CII–NITI Aayog advanced manufacturing roadmap.
Mr Dilip Sawhney, Managing Director, Rockwell Automation India Pvt. Ltd., emphasized innovation, R&D, resilience, AI-enabled autonomous manufacturing, and cybersecurity as key drivers of India’s manufacturing growth.
Mr Blake Moret, Chairman, NAM, and Chairman & CEO, Rockwell Automation, highlighted AI-driven industrial transformation, resilient and sustainable manufacturing, and India’s growing role as an innovation and manufacturing hub. H emphasized human-centric AI and stronger CII–NAM and India–US collaboration.
Mr Scott Wooldridge, Regional President, Asia Pacific, Rockwell Automation, highlighted improvements in India’s infrastructure, regulatory environment, logistics, investment ecosystem, and PLI initiatives. He emphasized cloud-enabled manufacturing, digital technologies, future-ready talent, and affordable, scalable AI solutions for MSMEs.
Key insights
Key Takeaways & Action Points
Speakers
5
Discussion sessions
5
Objectives
6
Action points
5
Clusters covered
Advanced manufacturing and AI-driven industrial transformationDigital transformation of MSMEsInnovation, R&D and technology ecosystemsCybersecurity and software-defined manufacturingSustainable manufacturing and industrial decarbonization
Main Takeaways
- India's manufacturing growth opportunity
- Transition to AI-driven manufacturing
- Human-centric AI
- Resilient supply chains
- Strengthening India–US manufacturing collaboration
- Improving ease of doing business
- Developing future-ready manufacturing talent
- Accelerating MSME digital transformation
- Outcome-oriented AI adoption
- Advancing sustainable manufacturing
- Strengthen India–US Manufacturing Collaboration
- Accelerate AI and Advanced Manufacturing Adoption
- Develop a Future-Ready Manufacturing Workforce
- Promote Innovation and Technology Ecosystems
- Build Resilient and Competitive Manufacturing Ecosystems
Programme
Roundtable Schedule
- 6:00 - 6:15 PM· DiscussionDiscussion Moderation by Mr. Vir S. Advani
- 6:15-6:30 PM· Special AddressSpecial Address by Mr. Blake Moret
- 6:30-6:45 PM· AddressAddress by Mr. Rahul Garg
- 6:45-7:00 PM· AddressAddress by Mr. Dilip Sawhney
- 7:00-7:30 PM· AddressAddress by Mr. Scott Wooldridge
Members
Roundtable Leaders
Mr. Blake Moret
Chairman, National Association of Manufacturers (NAM); Chairman & CEO
Rockwell Automation
Mr. Rahul Garg
Chairman, CII Special Task Force on Advanced Manufacturing; Founder & CEO
Moglix
Mr. Dilip Sawhney
Immediate Past Chairman, CII National Committee on Smart Manufacturing; Managing Director
Rockwell Automation India Pvt. Ltd.
Mr. Scott Wooldridge
Regional President, Asia Pacific
Rockwell Automation
Discussion objectives
Roundtable Objectives
Objective 1
Explore the transition from conventional automation to AI-enabled autonomous manufacturing.
Objective 2
Examine opportunities for strengthening India–US manufacturing collaboration.
Objective 3
Discuss the role of AI, Industry 4.0 and digital technologies in improving industrial competitiveness.
Objective 4
Identify strategies for building resilient and competitive manufacturing ecosystems.
Objective 5
Address the need for future-ready manufacturing talent through skilling and reskilling.
Objective 6
Explore ways to accelerate digital transformation among MSMEs.
Action points
Strategic Outcomes
- Strengthen India–US manufacturing collaboration through policy dialogue, technology partnerships, investment facilitation, and business-to-business collaboration.
- Accelerate AI, Industry 4.0, and digital manufacturing adoption through scalable, business-focused solutions, particularly for MSMEs.
- Develop a future-ready manufacturing workforce through industry-academia collaboration, skilling, and reskilling initiatives.
- Promote innovation and technology ecosystems through collaborative R&D, knowledge exchange, startup engagement, and partnerships.
- Build resilient and competitive manufacturing ecosystems by strengthening supply chains, improving ease of doing business, localizing manufacturing capabilities where feasible, and enhancing India's global competitiveness.
Gallery
Photo Gallery
Related Events
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