Revolutionising manufacturing efficiency, becoming Ai-conic
Introduction
Godrej & Boyce, a key company within the Godrej Enterprises Group, has long been a pioneer in India’s industrial sector. With operations spanning consumer goods, aerospace, and heavy engineering, the company has consistently embraced innovation to maintain its competitive edge. In its latest move, Godrej & Boyce has turned to artificial intelligence (AI) to modernise its manufacturing operations and drive significant cost efficiencies across its extensive network of production sites.
Challenge
While AI has captured global attention, especially in consumer applications, its commercial viability in that space remains uncertain. For Godrej & Boyce, the challenge was to leverage AI in a way that would deliver tangible value in the industrial domain. The company needed a robust, scalable solution to enhance visibility, efficiency, and performance across more than 30 manufacturing facilities, each with unique operational demands.
Solution
To meet this challenge, Godrej & Boyce developed Factory360, a proprietary AI-powered production monitoring platform. This in-house solution was designed to track a wide array of factory metrics, including machine operations, overall equipment effectiveness, and order and delivery statuses.
In 2024, the company partnered with Deloitte to implement Factory360 at its Lawkim Motor Solutions facility in Shirwal, Maharashtra (India). Following the successful deployment, the platform was rolled out at the Dahej, Gujarat (India) factory of its Precise Engineering Division (PED). Plans are underway to expand Factory360 across additional business units in the upcoming fiscal year.
The company emphasised the importance of digitising processes before applying AI, ensuring that data collection is consistent and reliable. This foundational approach enabled the platform to deliver actionable insights and drive performance improvements across the enterprise.
The impact
Factory360 is projected to generate approximately $25 million in bottom-line savings over a three-year period. Beyond financial gains, the initiative has positioned Godrej & Boyce as a frontrunner in industrial AI adoption in India. The company’s alignment with the national “AI for India 2030” vision reflects its commitment to leveraging technology for productivity and workforce development.
Rather than viewing AI as a threat to employment, the company sees it as a strategic advantage in attracting top talent. It believes that organisations failing to embrace AI risk falling behind in the competition for skilled professionals. With India already among the leaders in AI adoption in Asia, Godrej & Boyce’s proactive approach underscores its role in shaping the future of smart manufacturing.
Read more about this engagement on Nikkei Asia: https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/India-s-Godrej-bets-on-AI-powered-factories-to-cut-costs
Christine Ahn
