The Department of Public Enterprises has initiated a national call to integrate Fourth Industrial Revolution enablers into Central Public Sector Enterprises, declaring that a “Whole-of-CPSEs” approach is essential for sustainable transformation and global competitiveness. Speaking at the inaugural session of the Workshop on Industry 4.0 held in New Delhi, DPE Secretary K. Moses Chalai emphasized that CPSEs must transcend sectoral silos and operate in strategic cohesion to fully harness emerging technologies.
The workshop brought together over 50 CPSEs across power, infrastructure, telecom, construction and services to accelerate adoption of advanced tools including Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, 3D Printing, Digital Twins, and 5G-enabled smart infrastructure. Chalai underscored that this collaborative framework mirrors the “Whole-of-Government” doctrine and that early integration will be factored into the CPSE Memorandum of Understanding assessment protocols in the future.
Expert presentations highlighted the functional depth and deployment maturity of Industry 4.0 technologies in India. A. Anand shared field-level experience on 3D printing and digital reverse engineering drawn from India’s first 5G labs and additive manufacturing centres of excellence. Prabhjot Singh Sugga of SPA emphasized the role of Digital Twins in infrastructure resilience, plant lifecycle management and disaster modeling. AI expert Vidushi Chaturvedi demonstrated the value of machine learning in predictive analytics and intelligent resource use.
Experience-sharing sessions featured Powergrid, HSCC and BSNL, showcasing successful AI-based maintenance programs, digital simulations and 3D printing-enabled supply chain pilots. Senior leadership from NTPC, NHPC, GAIL, CONCOR, IRCTC, RITES, AAI and WAPCOS actively engaged in sectoral roadmap discussions and shared strategic plans on scaling transformative technologies.
The DPE also presented its Concept Paper and Adoption Potential Matrix during the workshop, reaffirming the cross-sector relevance of Industry 4.0 in mining, health, oil & gas, railways, handlooms and infrastructure. Discussions focused on capacity building, collaborative deployment strategies and shared infrastructure hubs.
DPE confirmed that similar workshops will be conducted across India and completed within August 2025, laying the groundwork for coordinated digital transformation across the CPSE landscape. The initiative reflects the Ministry of Finance’s broader commitment to future-ready public enterprise governance anchored in innovation, efficiency and inclusive development.
