Friday, 11 Jul, 2025
Photo courtesy: PixaBay
As global firms move supply chains out of China and India ramps up incentives, automation is emerging as the backbone of its manufacturing revival.
Robots are becoming central to how the world manufactures everything—from cars and smartphones to food and pharmaceuticals. While countries like China, Japan, and the US still dominate the market, India is quietly positioning itself as a rising player in industrial automation.
In 2023, India installed 8,510 industrial robots, a 59 per cent jump from the previous year, according to the International Federation of Robotics. That’s the fastest growth among major economies and enough to move India into seventh place globally. For a country still building out its manufacturing base, that’s a noteworthy shift.
Despite ranking seventh, New Delhi clocked the fastest growth among major economies—leaving behind traditional manufacturing stalwarts like France, Mexico, Spain, and Italy.
By contrast, installations in China—the world’s top market—declined 5 per cent, even as it continued to lead by volume. The top five robot markets—China, Japan, the US, South Korea, and Germany—accounted for nearly 80 per cent of global installations last year. But New Delhi’s surge suggests it is starting to carve out a meaningful place in the global automation race.
This rise is no coincidence. India’s strategic push to position itself as a global manufacturing hub is beginning to bear fruit. As multinational firms look beyond China to diversify their supply chains, and the government steps up support for domestic production, automation has become central to staying globally competitive. Industrial robots are now helping Indian factories reduce costs, enhance precision, and boost output—particularly in sectors such as automotive, electronics, and consumer goods, where efficiency and scale are critical.
Government policy is playing a part too. Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes have drawn investment into electronics, auto components, and white goods—industries where robots are increasingly essential. Large firms, especially in the automotive sector, are leading the charge on robot adoption.
Still, the gains are uneven. Most robot installations are concentrated in a few industrialised states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, and Karnataka. Small and medium-sized manufacturers, which make up a significant share of India’s factory base, continue to lag due to high upfront costs and limited technical capacity.
Bridging that gap will be crucial to scaling the country’s productivity. Expanding access to robotics education and training, along with targeted support for SMEs, could help spread the benefits of automation more evenly across the country.
Meanwhile, the broader global robot market is also shifting gears. Demand for humanoid robots—machines that look and move like people—is accelerating. According to Goldman Sachs Research, the global humanoid robot market could grow to $38 billion over the next 10–15 years, up from an earlier forecast of $6 billion. In a more optimistic scenario—where hurdles like cost, technology, and public acceptance are fully addressed—the market could soar to $154 billion by 2035.
India’s rapid adoption of industrial robots, paired with its ambitions to lead in emerging tech, places it in a strong position to benefit from this broader robotics boom. But turning this momentum into lasting transformation will require more than headline growth—it will take scale, skills, and smart policy.
