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Indian industry leaders explore the global smart manufacturing frontier
The CII Smart Manufacturing Delegation to Chicago, held from 17 to 20 November 2025, provided Indian industry leaders with first-hand exposure to advanced manufacturing technologies and global best practices, reinforcing India-US collaboration in smart manufacturing and digital transformation.
Led by Mr Dilip Sawhney, Chairman of the CII National Committee on Smart Manufacturing and Managing Director of Rockwell Automation India Pvt Ltd, the delegation brought together senior leaders from across India’s manufacturing sectors—including automotive, chemicals, engineering, metals, FMCG, and industrial solutions.
Through cross-industry interactions and focused engagements, delegates gained strategic insights into the adoption of cutting-edge smart manufacturing and digital technologies across diverse industrial contexts.
CII organised a Smart Manufacturing Delegation to Chicago, USA (17–20 November 2025) providing a strategic platform for Indian industry to explore cutting-edge manufacturing technologies, build high-value global networks, and catalyse innovation and collaboration opportunities between India and the United States.
Senior manufacturing leadership.
Technology and digital transformation heads.
The Plex Summit served as an industry-focused platform bringing together manufacturing leaders and experts to discuss and demonstrate smart manufacturing, MES, quality management, and digital supply chain solutions through expert-led sessions and live demonstrations. The sessions helped participants shape a forward-looking blueprint for smart manufacturing adoption while deepening their understanding of edge-to-enterprise information systems, digital transformation strategies, operations management software, and sector-specific applications across Food & Beverage, Automotive & Tyre, and Consumer Packaged Goods industries.
The New Capacity Excellence Summit was a curated programme for organisations planning to establish new manufacturing footprints or expand and enhance existing operations, offering strategic insights into planning, designing, and scaling capacity through a connected, value-driven approach. The sessions highlighted best practices for reducing time-to-market, improving operational productivity, enabling the workforce, and advancing sustainability, supported by real-world project examples and expert perspectives on simplifying and optimising facility expansion initiatives.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) held discussions to explore potential areas of collaboration aimed at strengthening bilateral industrial engagement. The discussions focused on identifying opportunities for cooperation between CII and NAM in the areas of learning missions, skill development programmes, and the development of AI standards in manufacturing.
The Advanced Material Movement Summit showcased innovations in material handling, logistics automation, and smart factory operations. Delegates explored technologies such as AGVs, robotics, warehouse automation, and real-time tracking, gaining insights into improving efficiency, throughput, and supply chain agility through technology-driven strategies.
Delegates participated in hands-on laboratory sessions, including introductions to FactoryTalk Design Workbench, FactoryTalk AssetCentre, and FactoryTalk Historian for manufacturing data capture, gaining practical experience in developing and deploying digital manufacturing applications. These experiential sessions strengthened technical confidence, problem-solving capabilities, and readiness for real-world industrial implementation. In addition, guided off-site visits to Rockwell Automation Headquarters, the Connected Systems Institute, and Goose Island Brewery provided exposure to real-world automation environments. Together, the labs and site visits enhanced understanding of integrated digital architectures, secure and centralised operations, and practical automation solutions that drive productivity, safety, and operational efficiency.
The way forward is to accelerate the shift from basic automation to data-driven, intelligent manufacturing through Industrial AI and edge-to-cloud solutions, while implementing high-impact use cases such as predictive maintenance, quality inspection, energy optimisation, digital twins, and supply chain analytics with a structured approach to scale-up. This should be complemented by deeper collaboration with global technology providers and industry institutions to facilitate technology transfer, co-innovation, and capacity building.
Moments from the programme sessions.
"The CII Smart Manufacturing Delegation to Chicago underscored the ongoing shift in manufacturing from automation to autonomy. The rich cross-industry interactions highlighted that sustainable competitive advantage will not stem from AI models alone, but from closed-loop, integrated systems that enable repeatable, scalable, and operationally embedded decision-making at the enterprise level."
"A once-in-a-lifetime experience, offering a glimpse into what the future can be through AI-driven autonomous operation modules. Intelligent transformation can build a unified ecosystem for smart manufacturing and logistics, and more importantly, benefit mankind. Lastly, updated technology training and upgradation through machine learning is a boon for skill development in the technology world."
"The CII Smart Manufacturing Delegation to Chicago provided an opportunity to witness the deployment of the latest technologies across industries. From concept to reality, the delegation explored real-world case studies through hands-on labs and off-site visits to leading facilities. The keynote address by industry stalwarts on “Creating the Future of Industrial Operations” offered valuable insights into the upcoming transformation in operations and innovation in the era of AI. With the theme “Chaos Leads to Opportunity,” it emerged as one of the most well-attended and impactful sessions of the program."