Robots are playing an increasingly important part in people’s lives. Robots can be found in manufacturing, restaurant service, receptionists, nurses, firefighters, and even as warriors. We all know that not all robots resemble humans (i.e. they are not humanoids). As a result, we frequently overlook the robots who have quietly but steadily infiltrated practically every facet of our lives.
So, why are we talking about robotics now?
Robotics has progressed to the point where a convergence of technologies will lead the robotics sector to explode soon. We have artificial intelligence merging with speech technology, sensors, and all-pervasive connection, resulting in more powerful and useful robots. We don’t even recognize that an autonomous vehicle (also known as a self-driving car) is simply a robot.
So, what is the point of analyzing these changes in the context of India?
India has a plethora of entrepreneurs, companies, new ideas, and virtually everything it needs to become a worldwide leader…!!! However, this is insufficient to gain a large share of the worldwide robotics market. Furthermore, we require our robots capable of doing specified jobs. While India is a youthful country with one of the largest populations of individuals under the age of 24, it also has a large number of elderly people who might benefit from robotic assistance.
India would benefit from robotic assistance in several sectors. To capitalize on the demographic dividend, we will require a large number of high-quality teachers to educate the large number of young people that we have. It will be too late if we continue to develop teachers traditionally. Robotics will play an important role in providing high-quality education on a big scale. Similarly, robotics will change healthcare, agriculture, mining, and other industries, or we will find ourselves in a low-production cycle as a civilization.
There is widespread concern that robots will eliminate jobs. It is no longer a valid reason to obstruct technological progress since technology will continue to grow at a breakneck pace, and if India is not at the forefront, we will be crushed beneath the wheels of obsolescence and poor productivity.
The global robotics market was estimated at $103.95 billion in 2019, and it is expected to nearly double to $209 billion by 2025. This is a low-ball estimate. The scale of the robotics business is predicted to expand as enabling technologies advance and robotics usage grows in emerging regions. In truth, Saudi Arabia gave citizenship to a robot named Sophia in October 2017, making it the world’s first robot citizen.
Globally, several new players with deep pockets are also joining the robots sector. New-age players like Tesla, GreyOrange, and others have joined the ranks of ABB, Hitachi, and Mitsubishi. Such new entrants will only contribute to the market’s democratization and development. GreyOrange is, for the record, an Indian firm. Robots are also becoming more accepted in our daily lives. During the COVID-imposed lockdown, several houses adopted a cleaning vacuum robot. We also fly in fly-by-wire planes, which are essentially autonomous flying robots for most of their flight.
Several hurdles to the development of robotics in India were mentioned in a study titled “Robotics in India,” which was published in the Journals of India. These are some examples: Due to the lack of a robotics hardware ecosystem, most robotics components must be imported. Furthermore, regulatory concerns with dual-use certificates are causing certification complications. High import tariffs (in some situations) and customs bottlenecks as part of permission-driven regimes are playing a deadening hand.
India has several financial disincentives built-in. Any firm that imports robots into India presently pays around 26.85 percent tax (7.5 percent basic customs charge plus 18 percent GST). This is a significant barrier to the widespread use of robots. This is exacerbated by the scarcity of crucial human resources. According to the FICCI-TSMG Advanced Manufacturing Survey 2016, a shortage of quality human resources with the essential skills and knowledge to work with advanced manufacturing technologies has a detrimental influence on India’s capacity to conduct cutting-edge R&D. To develop the sector, a considerable attitude shift is also necessary. Despite the government’s recent emphasis on robotics, the belief that robots would eliminate employment stifles enthusiastic adoption of the technology and industry growth.
To gain global leadership in robotics, India must swiftly leverage its policy and regulatory powers. Fortunately, India has a solid IT foundation that may provide the fuel to push the Indian robotics industry forward. India must capitalize on its advantages to become a net exporter of robots soon.
