Stakeholder Consultation Held to Shape National Advanced Manufacturing Strategy

In a decisive push to strengthen technological sovereignty and reduce import dependence in high-precision manufacturing, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (OPSA) and the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) have initiated consultations to shape a cohesive National Advanced Manufacturing Strategy.

A high-level stakeholder consultation held on 23 February 2026 at the Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI), Bengaluru, brought together nearly 220 representatives from government, industry associations, MSMEs, startups, academia, and research institutions to define the contours of a mission-driven framework for advanced manufacturing systems.

Strategic Focus on Core Manufacturing Technologies

The deliberations centred on strengthening India's capabilities in critical high-value domains, including:

• CNC machine tools and controllers

• Advanced and special-purpose machines

• Testing and metrology infrastructure

• Robotics and robotic arms

• Advanced additive manufacturing (3D and 4D printing)

The initiative aims to build indigenous capacity across the full value chain — from R&D and design to validation, certification and industrial deployment.

Advanced Manufacturing Key to Viksit Bharat Vision

Addressing the gathering, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood underscored that advanced manufacturing systems form the backbone of modern industrial ecosystems and are essential to India's ambitions in aerospace, defence, electronics, automotive, energy and medical devices.

He stressed that technological sovereignty and resilient supply chains require strong domestic capabilities in:

• High-precision machine tools

• CNC controllers and sensors

• Production systems

• Quality and certification infrastructure

Prof. Sood called advanced manufacturing central to the vision of Viksit Bharat and highlighted major enablers such as:

• The industry-led Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund

• The grant-based Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)

He emphasised localisation of critical technologies, alignment with global standards, Industry 4.0 readiness and advanced skilling initiatives.

Mission Architecture Aligned to Technology Readiness Levels

In her special remarks, Dr. Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, OPSA, detailed the year-long consultative process shaping the proposed Advanced Manufacturing Programs.

She called for:

• A systems-level mission architecture

• Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-aligned planning

• Targeted R&D linked to industrial needs

• Shared testing and validation infrastructure

• Internationally benchmarked certification systems

• Stronger industry-academia collaboration

Dr. Rakesh Kaur, Adviser/Scientist 'G', OPSA, noted that the mission framework remains under development and will be refined through continued stakeholder input.

Capital Goods Sector at the Core

S. Kris Gopalakrishnan, President of CMTI's Governing Council and Co-founder of Infosys, highlighted the capital goods sector as foundational to advanced manufacturing growth. He called for sustained partnerships to deepen technological capabilities and reduce reliance on imports.

Shri Vijay Mittal, Joint Secretary, MHI, reiterated that the Ministry's Capital Goods Scheme has already supported indigenous development of several machine tools and testing facilities. The proposed mission, he said, will ensure sustainable growth and enhance competitiveness in the sector.

New National Facility Inaugurated

During the visit, Prof. Sood inaugurated India's first Ball Screw Lead Error Testing and Certification System at CMTI — a critical quality assurance facility established under the Capital Goods Scheme.

The dignitaries also toured CMTI laboratories and witnessed demonstrations of indigenously developed technologies, including:

• Vertical planetary mixing machines

• Aerospace Line Replaceable Units (LRUs)

• Specialised test rigs

• Automatic optical inspection systems

• Developments from the Sensor Technology Development Centre

Three Technical Tracks Identify Gaps

The consultation progressed into three parallel thematic sessions:

1. CNC Machine Tool Control Systems, Advanced & Special Purpose Machines, Testing & Metrology

2. Robotics and Robotic Arms

3. Advanced Additive Manufacturing Systems (3D & 4D Printing)

Discussions highlighted:

• Critical technology gaps in high-end machine tools

• Limited domestic precision supply chains

• Localisation needs for aggregates and critical components

• Policy and public procurement support for indigenous adoption

In robotics, experts identified physical AI and intelligent automation as key enablers, while noting ecosystem constraints and the need for coordinated national action.

Additive manufacturing discussions focused on materials qualification, process validation, shared prototyping facilities and industry-defined problem statements to enable scale-up.

The sessions were moderated by Dr. Vishwas R. Puttige (Amace Solutions), Prof. B. Gurumoorthy (IISc), and Dr. Chandrashekar U.C. (Godavari Technical University).

16 Working Groups Outline Roadmap

Sixteen breakout working groups identified strategic sub-themes, collaborative R&D priorities, budget frameworks, timelines and risk mitigation strategies.

Cross-group synthesis emphasised the need for:

• Mission-oriented funding mechanisms

• Integrated R&D-to-deployment pathways

• Shared validation and testing platforms

• Standards and certification ecosystems

• Policy alignment to accelerate industrial uptake

Towards a National Advanced Manufacturing Architecture

The structured inputs from the consultation will feed into the draft Advanced Manufacturing Systems proposal, aimed at establishing a coordinated national architecture integrating:

• Research and innovation

• Testing and validation

• Certification

• Industrial scaling

The initiative marks a significant step toward strengthening India's high-end manufacturing ecosystem, enhancing competitiveness, and positioning the country as a global hub for advanced manufacturing technologies.