Reimagining Manufacturing: NITI Aayog report for manufacturing sector

“Reimagining Manufacturing: India’s Roadmap to Global Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing”, the NITI Aayog report outlines frontier technologies as the way to advance the manufacturing sector in India. Read here to learn more.

The NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub has recently unveiled a comprehensive strategic document titled “Reimagining Manufacturing: India’s Roadmap to Global Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing” on 29th October 2025.

The roadmap, launched in Pune, outlines an ambitious vision to transform India into one of the world’s top three advanced manufacturing hubs by 2035.

Reimagining manufacturing: Why?

Manufacturing is the cornerstone of economic growth, job creation, and technological advancement.

However, India’s manufacturing sector has long faced structural challenges, fragmented supply chains, inadequate R&D intensity, limited technology adoption, and skill mismatches.

With global production shifting toward automation, digitalization, and sustainability, the infusion of frontier technologies: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Robotics, Advanced Materials, and Digital Twins, has become critical to revitalizing India’s manufacturing competitiveness.

Recognizing this need, NITI Aayog’s Frontier Tech Hub, in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Deloitte, developed a forward-looking blueprint to harness these technologies for accelerated industrial transformation.

Key Features of the Roadmap

1. Sector-Focused Approach: The roadmap identifies 13 priority manufacturing sectors where frontier technologies can generate the greatest impact, ranging from electronics, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals to green energy, defence, and automotive manufacturing.
2. Frontier Technology Integration:
   • Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning for predictive maintenance, quality control, and process optimization.
   • Digital Twins to simulate real-time factory environments.
   • Advanced Materials to enhance product performance and sustainability.
   • Robotics and Automation to improve precision, productivity, and safety.
3. Quantitative Targets:
   • Raise manufacturing’s contribution to over 25% of India’s GDP by 2035.
   • Create 100 million high-quality jobs.
   • Position India among the top three global advanced manufacturing hubs.
   • Lay milestones for achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047.
4. Ten-Year Strategic Roadmap: The document recommends a coordinated strengthening of four critical pillars:
   • R&D Ecosystems: To enhance innovation and commercialization.
   • Industrial Infrastructure: Development of smart manufacturing zones.
   • Workforce Development: Skilling aligned with Industry 4.0 demands.
   • Technology Deployment: Sector-specific adoption of digital and automation tools.

Economic Implications

The roadmap cautions that failing to adopt frontier technologies could result in a loss of US$270 billion by 2035 and nearly US$1 trillion by 2047 in potential manufacturing GDP.

The document underscores the urgency of technological adaptation to avoid being locked out of global value chains in the coming decades.

Strategic Significance

1. Economic Growth and Employment: The roadmap aligns manufacturing growth with India’s demographic dividend, ensuring that technological adoption complements, not replaces, human capital.
2. Global Competitiveness: Integrating frontier tech would enhance India’s share in global value chains, attract foreign investment, and reduce import dependencies in critical sectors.
3. Sustainability and Resilience: Advanced manufacturing will also support India’s green transition, through efficient energy use, circular economy models, and low-carbon industrial practices.
4. Alignment with National Missions: The initiative synergizes with Make in India 2.0, Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, National Policy on Electronics 2019, and Samarth Udyog Bharat 4.0.

Way Forward

For the roadmap’s vision to translate into tangible outcomes, the following steps are crucial:

• Building strong academia-industry-government linkages to accelerate innovation.
• Establishing regional Frontier Manufacturing Clusters with robust logistics and digital infrastructure.
• Investing in reskilling and upskilling programs tailored to emerging technologies.
• Ensuring MSME inclusion in the digital transformation journey.
• Encouraging international partnerships to access cutting-edge technologies and global markets.

Conclusion

The “Reimagining Manufacturing” roadmap represents a decisive policy moment for India’s industrial future.

As the world enters the era of intelligent and sustainable manufacturing, India’s ability to harness frontier technologies will determine its global standing by 2047.

If implemented with urgency and coordination, this vision can transform India from a low-cost manufacturing hub into a leader in innovation-driven advanced manufacturing, a true pillar of Viksit Bharat.

Practice questions

Q. Frontier technologies can either enhance productivity and innovation or lead to job displacement. In light of India’s demographic dividend, discuss how the “Reimagining Manufacturing” roadmap balances automation with inclusive employment generation. (250 words)

Q. The infusion of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Digital Twins into India’s manufacturing ecosystem is not just an industrial transformation but an economic imperative.” Elaborate with reference to the Viksit Bharat @ 2047 vision. (250 words)