As India’s maiden lights-out factory lab, this facility will simulate how self-optimising factories can automate operations using the TCS Human+AI Service Autonomy Model.
It brings together technologies such as digital twins, robotics, industrial AI, factory control systems and real-time operational intelligence and seamlessly combines them for live manufacturing environments.
A lights-out factory is a manufacturing unit where autonomous systems can run production with minimal human intervention.
The Pune lab houses a fully robotic battery pack assembly line, making it India's first lab to demonstrate the principles of lights-out manufacturing. Simulations on this live set-up which has multiple stages of production will help manufacturers prototype, validate and scale AI-first production systems.
The Pune lab addresses a key challenge faced by manufacturers: translating Industry 4.0, AI, and robotics concepts into practical operating models. It gives customers a controlled setting to explore industrial scenarios, assess their suitability for production environments, and reduce deployment risk.
The TCS Industrial Autonomy & Engineering Lab – Lights-Out Factory, is the latest addition to TCS' Industrial Autonomy & Engineering innovation footprint. Earlier this year, TCS launched the TCS Industrial Autonomy & Engineering Lab Powered by NVIDIA in Bengaluru to accelerate Physical AI innovation for industrial and mobility applications.
As part of TCS’ Industrial Autonomy & Engineering capabilities, the facility supports a range of industry use cases including predictive maintenance, automated quality inspection, real-time process optimisation, human-machine collaboration, and autonomous factory operations.
Joakim Landholm, SVP Commercial & Operations Development, SKF, said, “Reducing friction has always been central to industrial progress, and the next wave of manufacturing will depend on smarter, more energy-efficient, and more reliable operations. We see TCS Industrial Autonomy & Engineering Lab – Lights-Out Factory as an important step in helping industry translate advanced automation and industrial AI into measurable operational value.”
Sreenivasa Chakravarti, Global Head & Vice President of Industrial Autonomy and Engineering, TCS, said, “When we think of a manufacturing facility, we picture legacy factories and heavy equipment, that run on intense manual effort. At TCS, we are reimagining those environments and building factories for the future. With our state-of-the-art TCS Industrial Autonomy & Engineering Lab – Lights-Out Factory, we are advancing TCS' vision of engineering AI-first production systems. We have built a facility that can help customers turn their aspiration of lights-out manufacturing into a reality. The lab provides a tangible demonstration of how the Human + AI model can help enterprises progress from digitally enabled operations to increasingly autonomous production systems.”