Industrial automation is the use of advanced control systems, such as machines, sensors, actuators, processors, robotics, and AI-driven technologies, to operate and monitor industrial processes with minimal or no human intervention. Its primary goal is to automate production, improve manufacturing efficiency, reduce human error, and enhance speed, precision, and safety in industrial operations.

By integrating intelligent systems like robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and networked control platforms, industrial automation transforms traditional manufacturing into smart, data-driven processes. Although adopting automation requires strategic planning and upfront investment, the long-term benefits, such as increased productivity, consistent quality, lower operational costs, and greater flexibility, often far outweigh the initial costs.

Key Drivers of the Industrial Automation Market:

Need for Higher Productivity: Automation allows for faster, continuous production with minimal downtime, meeting expanding worldwide demand efficiently.

Consistency and Quality Improvement: Brands emphasize fair trade and sustainable sourcing to align with consumer values.

Cost Reduction Over Time: Despite the expensive initial investment, automation decreases labor costs, material waste, and energy usage, enhancing long-term profitability.

Labor Shortages & Rising Wages: With skilled labor in short supply and wages growing, industries are turning to automation to fill workforce gaps and lower dependency on manual labor.

Technology Advancements: Rapid expansion in AI, robotics, machine learning, sensors, and industrial IoT (IIoT) makes automation more powerful, intelligent, and accessible.

Recent Trends in the Market:

Predictive Maintenance & Quality Control: AI/ML integration with IIoT enables real-time anomaly detection, maintenance scheduling, and fault diagnosis, reducing downtime by approximately 19% and maintenance expenses by up to 23%.

Decision Automation: Smart algorithms help make quick production adjustments, ensuring smoother operations and fewer errors.

According to TechSci Research, the India Industrial Automation Market was valued at USD 16.2 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 37.42 billion in 2030, projecting to experience robust growth in the forecast period with a CAGR of 14.8% through 2030.

Factors Driving the Growth of the Industrial Automation Market:

The industrial automation market is experiencing robust and accelerating growth, driven by a combination of factors such as technological innovation, changing consumer demands, and greater accessibility to automation solutions across sectors and geographies. Here is a detailed look at the primary drivers:

1. Evolving Consumer Preferences:

Rising demand for customized, high-quality products with shorter lead times, along with consumer expectations for real-time tracking, faster delivery, and eco-friendly production, is driving manufacturers to adopt flexible, responsive, and smart automation solutions.

2. Technological Advancements:

Innovations in AI, machine learning, robotics, IIoT, edge computing, and digital twins are making automation systems more capable, affordable, and adaptive, enabling the deployment of autonomous systems and collaborative robots (cobots) in sectors that once relied heavily on manual labor.

3. Declining Cost of Automation Technologies:

Lower costs of sensors, controllers, robots, and cloud platforms, along with the availability of open-source platforms and modular systems, have made automation increasingly accessible and affordable for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Selection Criteria for Top Companies:

Revenue & Market Share: Leading brands demonstrate strong financial performance and significant market presence.

Product Portfolio & Innovation: A diverse range of products and continuous innovation are key to maintaining competitiveness.

Global Reach & Regional Strength: Brands with a global footprint and strong regional presence are better positioned for growth.

Strategic Developments: Acquisitions, partnerships, and expansions contribute to brand strength.

Consumer Engagement & Branding: Effective marketing and brand loyalty initiatives enhance consumer connection.

Top Industrial Automation Companies in India:

1. Tata Elxsi

Tata Elxsi is a leader in Engineering Research & Design (ER&D) and digital transformation services, with growing influence in the industrial automation sector. While traditionally known for its strengths in automotive, healthcare, and broadcast, the company is now playing a pivotal role in embedded systems, industrial IoT, robotics, and automation software. Through its Software Development & Services (SDS) and Systems Integration & Support (SIS) divisions, Tata Elxsi enables smart manufacturing by developing custom control systems, HMI/SCADA interfaces, and AI-based automation frameworks. Its work in real-time systems, edge computing, and sensor integration makes it a valuable partner for next-gen industrial automation projects in India and abroad.

Headquarters: Karnataka, India

Key Brands: TETHER

Recent Developments: Tata Elxsi proposes a strategic partnership with Telecom Operators to integrate its indigenous connected vehicle platform, TETHER AUTO, with telco networks, leveraging the CAMARA network APIs."

2024–2025 Highlights: In 2025, Tata Elxsi announced a strategic multi-year deal valued at EUR 50 million with a leading European headquartered automotive OEM.

Strategic Focus: Tata Elxsi's strategic focus is on leveraging design-led digital engineering and technology development across various industries."

Comparative Analysis Table:

2. Siemens India

Siemens India Limited, a subsidiary of the global technology powerhouse Siemens AG (Germany), is one of India’s leading providers of technology solutions in the fields of industrial automation, smart infrastructure, mobility, and digital transformation. The company’s Digital Industries (DI) Business provides technologies for automation and digitalization of discrete, hybrid and process industries, supporting their digital transformation to become more sustainable. Its portfolio consists of industrial software and automation & drive technologies (for optimizing manufacturing value chain, covering product design, production planning, engineering, execution, and after-sales services). Its ‘Digital Enterprise Suite’ offers flexibility and efficiency to various industries, general engineering segments and original equipment manufacturers (OEM) engaged in machine tools, printing, packaging and electrical panel manufacturing. The business environment is primarily driven by core sector industries.

Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Key Brands: SIMATIC, SIMOTION, SINUMERIK

Recent Developments: Siemens announced a new line of Industrial PCs (IPCs) equipped with NVIDIA GPUs as part of their Industrial Operations X portfolio.

2024–2025 Highlights: Siemens announced an expansion of its industrial AI offerings with advanced AI agents designed to work seamlessly across its established Industrial Copilot ecosystem.

Strategic Focus: Siemens India’s industrial automation strategy focuses on driving digital transformation through localized, scalable, and sustainable Industry 4.0 solutions tailored for Indian manufacturing.

Comparative Analysis Table:

3. ABB India

ABB is a global technology leader in electrification and automation. ABB’s Process Automation business area enables customers to operate some of the world’s largest and most complex industrial infrastructures that address a wide range of essential needs, from supplying energy, water and materials, to producing goods and transporting them to market. It offers a broad range of automation, electrification and digital solutions for process, hybrid and maritime industries, including industry-specific integrated control and software as well as measurement and analytics solutions and services.

Headquarters: Karnataka, India

Key Brands: NA

Recent Developments: ABB announced the introduction of ABB Ability Industrial Knowledge Vault, a generative AI-driven solution designed to solve the growing challenge of knowledge loss in industrial environments.

2024–2025 Highlights: As part of ABB’s enabling a low-carbon society pillar of its Sustainability Agenda, the company aims to reduce scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80 percent by 2030 and 100 percent by 2050.

Strategic Focus: ABB India’s industrial automation strategy is centered around sustainable digitalization, localized innovation, and smart process control across industries.

Comparative Analysis Table:

4. Rockwell Automation India

Rockwell Automation India Pvt. Ltd. is the Indian subsidiary of Rockwell Automation, Inc., a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. Headquartered in Bengaluru, Rockwell India plays a critical role in empowering Indian industries through advanced automation solutions, smart manufacturing technologies, and sustainable digital transformation.

Headquarters: Bengaluru, India

Key Brands: Allen‑Bradley, Kinetix, FactoryTalk, PlantPAx, Stratix

Recent Developments: Rockwell Automation announced the release of PointMax I/O, a flexible remote input/output (I/O) system designed to help manufacturers tackle the growing complexity of modern industrial operations.

2024–2025 Highlights: Rockwell Automation, the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, announced plans to open a new manufacturing facility in Chennai, India.

Strategic Focus: It entered an MoU with Cisco, launching the “Digital Skills for Industry” program under India Inc on the Move, focusing on cybersecurity, networking, IIoT, AI, and industrial automation training.

Comparative Analysis Table:

5. Schneider Electric India

Schneider Electric India is a global industrial technology leader bringing world-leading expertise in electrification, automation, and digitization to smart industries, resilient infrastructure, future-proof data centers, intelligent buildings, and intuitive homes. It provides integrated end-to-end lifecycle AI-enabled Industrial IoT solutions with connected products, automation, software, and services, delivering digital twins to enable profitable growth for its customers.  

Headquarters: Gurgaon, Haryana

Key Brands: Modicon, EcoStruxure, Altivar

Recent Developments: Schneider Electric India launched the Open Automation Movement, a bold initiative aimed at liberalizing industrial automation and making it more accessible through Open, software-defined automation.    

2024–2025 Highlights: Schneider Electric India was certified by Great Place to Work in November 2024, recognized for its inclusive culture, DE&I initiatives, comprehensive employee benefits, and global R&D and manufacturing hub status.

Strategic Focus: Schneider Electric India’s strategy is to empower a digital, sustainable, and electric India through open automation, smart energy, and inclusive innovation.

Comparative Analysis Table:

6. Honeywell Automation India Limited

Honeywell Automation India Limited is a leader in providing integrated automation and software solutions, including process solutions and building solutions. It has a wide product portfolio in environmental and combustion controls, and sensing and control, and provides engineering services in the field of automation and control to global clients.

Headquarters: Maharashtra, India

Key Brands: Experion, Honeywell Connected Plant

Recent Developments: Honeywell was awarded a contract to provide building automation solutions to Exide Energy Solutions Limited (EESL), a fully owned subsidiary of Exide Industries Ltd, India’s largest battery maker.

2024–2025 Highlights: Honeywell Automation India continues to balance robust financials, strategic infrastructure projects, and advanced digital/energy solutions, propelling growth and market confidence.

Strategic Focus: Honeywell will equip EESL with digital solutions to help improve operational efficiency and deliver faster incident response, energy savings and increased security for the phase one of its new 80-acre lithium-ion gigafactory campus in Bengaluru.                

Comparative Analysis Table:

7. Mitsubishi Electric India

Mitsubishi Electric India has grown to become a company offering a wide range of innovative and high-quality products for the Indian market. This includes products and solutions for air conditioners, factory automation and industrial systems, semiconductor & devices, transportation systems, and visual & imaging. The company was incorporated in the year 2010. Since then, it has been consistently working to create a difference through its products.

Headquarters: Haryana, India

Recent Developments: Mitsubishi Electric inaugurated a new manufacturing plant worth 2,200 MINR for Cutting-Edge Factory Automation Systems in Maharashtra, India.

2024–2025 Highlights: Mitsubishi Electric India deepened its commitment to sustainability and corporate social responsibility by advancing the Channappannahalli Lake Rejuvenation Project in collaboration with Mitsubishi Elevator India.

Strategic Focus: Mitsubishi Electric India is strategically focused on driving sustainable, locally manufactured, and digitally enabled factory automation solutions tailored to India’s industrial growth.

Comparative Analysis Table:

8. KPIT Technologies

KPIT Technologies is a global partner to the automotive and mobility ecosystem for making software-defined vehicles a reality. It is a leading independent software development and integration partner helping mobility leapfrog towards a clean, smart, and safe future.

Headquarters: Pune, Maharashtra, India

Key Brands: KPIT intelliAsset

Recent Developments: KPIT continues to deploy its intelliAsset IIoT platform, central to its industrial automation offerings, as part of its collaboration with PTC’s Center of Excellence, addressing applications in smart plants and predictive maintenance.

Strategic Focus: The strategic focus of KPIT Technologies revolves around building sustainable, software-driven, intelligent platforms that power mobility and industrial transformation.

Emerging Players in the Market:

1. Addverb Technologies: Addverb is a global leader in robotics, offering innovative warehouse automation solutions with intelligent robots, powered by modular software. It is backed by Reliance and has been expanding globally with an Indian R&D base.

2. GIBots (Global Industrial Bots): GIBots is a no-code symphonic hyper-automation platform for enterprises with enhanced AI & machine learning capabilities. It is a pioneer in Information Digitization Technology and SaaS-based platform that can automate any business process & related documents using the technologies such as Image, Text & Video Analysis, Pattern Recognition, Application Automation using Web & Windows Recorder, Automation over Citrix Environment (Surface Automation) & powered with RPA, OCR, NLP, AI & Machine Learning.

3. e-Infochips (an Arrow Company): It supports automation in automotive, manufacturing, and energy verticals.

Challenges Faced by Industrial Automation Companies:

1. High Initial Investment Costs

Setting up automation systems, such as robots, PLCs, SCADA, and AI/ML platforms, requires significant capital investment, making it difficult for SMEs to justify the return on investment in the short term.

2. Skilled Workforce Shortage

There is a shortage of engineers skilled in advanced automation technologies like AI in manufacturing, IIoT, and robotics, and ongoing upskilling efforts are both costly and time-consuming.

3. Integration Complexity

Integrating new automation systems with legacy machinery and software is technically challenging, with persistent compatibility and interoperability issues, especially in older plants.

4. Cybersecurity Risks

Increased connectivity and data flow expose automation systems to cyberattacks, requiring constant vigilance and significant investment to secure industrial networks.

5. Supply Chain Disruptions

Global shortages of semiconductors and sensors disrupt delivery timelines and raise costs, with unreliable component supply often stalling automation projects.

6. Regulatory and Compliance Issues

Navigating diverse safety, labor, and environmental regulations across regions can slow automation deployment, while certification processes further add to delays and costs.

Future Outlook of the Industrial Automation Market:

The future outlook for the industrial automation market is highly promising, driven by rapid advancements in AI, machine learning, IIoT, robotics, and cloud technologies. As industries prioritize efficiency, sustainability, and resilience, automation is expected to play a central role in transforming manufacturing, logistics, energy, and infrastructure. Emerging technologies such as smart factories, digital twins, and autonomous operations are gaining momentum, supported by decreasing costs of sensors and controllers and growing adoption among SMEs. Additionally, supportive government policies, demand for customized solutions, and global shifts toward decarbonization and supply chain digitization are set to further accelerate market growth over the coming years.

Conclusion: