Hrishikesh S Deshpande
Unpopular opinion: Most automation advice is wrong…
After 25+ years in technical consulting for Fortune 500 companies, I’ve watched Indian manufacturers lose ₹thousands of crores chasing automation myths while their competitors leapfrog ahead. Today’s reality? India’s industrial automation market is projected to reach $33.64 billion by 2030, yet 72% of Industry 4.0 projects still fail.
Let me share the five most expensive misconceptions I’ve encountered—and the hard data that proves them wrong.
MYTH #1: “Automation Will Replace All Our Jobs”
The Reality Check: This fear keeps 58% of Indian manufacturers from investing in automation, despite evidence showing the opposite.
What Actually Happens: Companies implementing automation report workforce redeployment, not replacement. Maruti Suzuki’s automated Manesar facility increased throughput by 33% while maintaining the same headcount—workers simply moved from repetitive tasks to quality control and maintenance roles.
The Real Cost: Fear-based delays cost manufacturers 15-30% productivity gains while competitors automate and scale. With Indian manufacturing units investing over ₹12,000 crores annually in automation, the opportunity cost of hesitation is massive.
MYTH #2: “ROI Takes Too Long—It’s Not Worth It”
The Dangerous Assumption: “Automation payback takes 3-5 years, so let’s wait.”
Ground Reality: Modern automation ROI has collapsed from 4.3 years in 2019 to just 1.8 years in 2024. A Rajkot manufacturer budgeting for 30-month payback achieved ROI in just 11 months.
Hidden Costs of Delay: Manual processes cost ₹1,200-2,000 per invoice versus ₹250-400 for automated systems. A 75-person Bangalore company discovered they were bleeding ₹6,50,000 monthly just on duplicate payments—automation eliminated this in four months.
The IMPACT Framework Application:
- Identify true costs (including error rates at 15-20% for manual vs <2% automated)
- Measure current waste and inefficiencies
- Plan incremental automation starting with highest-impact areas
- Act on proven solutions with clear metrics
- Check progress monthly, not yearly
- Transform processes based on real data, not assumptions
MYTH #3: “Small Companies Can’t Afford Automation”
The Persistent Belief: “Automation is only for large enterprises with unlimited budgets.”
Market Reality: Low-cost automation solutions now start at ₹10,000-₹2 lakh with rapid ROI. A Coimbatore auto-component unit automated nine-worker inspection processes into one-click operations, saving ₹4.8 lakh annually while improving accuracy by 22%.
The SME Success Formula:
- Arduino/Raspberry Pi systems for basic control
- Pneumatic pick-and-place devices
- Sensor-based quality checks
- Retrofitted conveyors and feeders
Financial Impact: MSMEs implementing low-cost automation report 30% cycle time reduction and elimination of labeling errors. The cost of not automating? Losing contracts to Vietnamese manufacturers showcasing lights-out production to Samsung and Apple procurement teams.
MYTH #4: “Our Legacy Systems Can’t Handle Modern Automation”
The Integration Fear: “Our old equipment won’t work with new technology.”
Engineering Truth: Successful integration happens daily across Indian factories. The key lies in modular implementation and proper change management, not complete system overhauls.
Proven Approach: Start with proof-of-concept studies on limited processes before scaling. Companies successfully integrate automation by:
- Modifying product designs for automation compatibility
- Implementing open-architecture, non-proprietary solutions
- Using modular designs for easy reconfigurations
Real Success Story: Manufacturing facilities achieve similar automation levels in 18 months that took German plants 35 years to develop. The difference? Strategic leapfrogging over incremental technologies.
MYTH #5: “We Don’t Have the Technical Expertise”
The Skills Shortage Excuse: “We lack trained engineers to implement and maintain automation.”
The Reality: Government-backed incubators, open-source tutorials, and automation-as-a-service models now make implementation accessible even to non-engineers. The real barrier isn’t technical capability—it’s decision paralysis.
Available Resources:
- Community-based shared automation centers
- Low-cost retrofitting centers supported by engineering colleges
- Collaborative models in textile hubs (Surat, Tirupur) and auto ancillary clusters (Rajkot, Aurangabad)
The Competitive Imperative: With India’s automation density at just 4.3 robots per 10,000 workers compared to South Korea’s 932, the opportunity for competitive advantage is enormous for early movers.
The Bottom Line: Stop Losing Money to Myths
The harsh truth: While you debate these myths, competitors are capturing market share. Indian manufacturers investing in automation report 28% productivity improvements and 36% energy savings per unit.
As someone who’s guided Fortune 500 transformations for nearly quarter a century, I’ve seen this pattern repeatedly: companies that act on data thrive, while those paralyzed by misconceptions get left behind.
The S&H DESIGNS Philosophy: “Smart & Superior Designs” aren’t just about products—they’re about processes. Their AutoLoader system achieves ROI in as low as 9 months with plug-and-play deployment. This exemplifies what’s possible when you focus on solutions, not excuses.
Your Next Step: Choose one myth you’ve been believing. Challenge it with data. Test it with a small pilot. The cost of continued delay far exceeds the investment in getting started.
What automation myth has your organization been telling itself? Share your experience in the comments—let’s separate fact from fiction.
contact our team at sales@shdesigns.in
