Industry 4.0 Push For Startups: DoT Seeks Proposals For Survey To Foster Digital Transformation

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has invited proposals from startups and organisations to develop a survey to understand challenges faced by micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and startups in adopting emerging technologies. 

The government has set a deadline of June 11 for the applicants to submit their proposals in this regard. 

To be undertaken by the Telecom Centre of Excellence (TCoE), the baseline survey will look to understand the MSME sector’s current state of readiness for adopting Industry 4.0 technologies and to identify areas of improvement. 

The survey initiative will also enable the DoT to prioritise investments and make informed decisions about investments and “strategic directions” to be taken in this regard. Under this, the DoT will identify the specific needs of at least 10 sectors to foster innovation. 

For the uninitiated, Industry 4.0 is the deployment of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), robotics and big data in manufacturing and industrial processes. 

“The survey… would include identifying sector-specific needs – in at least 10 sectors – and preferences, recognising the diverse landscape of MSMEs and providing targeted support to foster innovation and competitiveness,” a government statement said. 

The 90-day long survey will cover five sectors each in the northern and the southern parts of India. The recommendations from the exercise will set the stage for “policy interventions” to foster adoption of emerging technologies among MSMEs.  

Laying The Groundwork 

In its call for proposal, the TCoE underlined that the survey ought to not only address immediate barriers to digital transformation but also pave the way for the “cyber-physical system” via the integration of 5G and 6G technologies to capitalise on the capabilities offered by these high speed telecom networks. 

The survey also entails the collection of primary data (both online and offline), analysis of the information to identify patterns and generate a detailed report highlighting the findings. Afterwards the selected startup or organisation has to recommend policy changes to support the implementation of the survey findings. 

These recommendations, as per the DoT, ought to enhance the efficiency of the MSME sector while enabling increased production at minimal or no additional cost.

The bid to undertake the survey comes at a time when the homegrown manufacturing sector is witnessing a major transformation on the back of emerging technologies such as AI and robotics. Industry 4.0 aims to leverage technology to enhance production capacity and quality, ensure efficient utilisation of resources and offer cost-saving benefits on the account of automation. 

A report by McKinsey noted that adoption of Industry 4.0 by Indian companies across functions such as manufacturing, supply chain, logistics and procurement could help them enhance operating profits by 40% at less than 10% of the planned capital expenditure.

As a result, the Centre has ramped up focus on this new manufacturing facet. For instance, the government is facilitating the establishment of four centres in the country to help SMEs implement Industry 4.0. 

This has also spawned a host of startups in the country catering to small businesses looking to embrace emerging technologies. Earlier this year, B2B deeptech startup Groyyo bagged INR 40 Cr in debt from Lighthouse Canton and Trifecta Capital.

Last year, another deeptech SaaS startup Twyn secured $1.25 Mn in a pre-Series A funding round led by JITO Incubation & Innovation Foundation.