“The stone age did not come to an end because we ran out of stones”: Suchismita Sanyal, General Manager, Computational Science, Shell at the IET Future Tech Congress 2022

Bengaluru : Evolving industrial needs, Digital Twin, Materials Engineering, Quality Management, Nanotech, Global Inflections, and Industry 5.0 were the disruptive topics discussed as part of a special spotlight on the Manufacturing sector at the IET Future Tech Congress 2022, organized by The Institution of Engineering and Technology. The sector is a part of one of the seven special spotlights that are in focus for the event

Speaking at the event, Mr Suman Bose, Manufacturing Spotlight Chair, FTC, said  “We are at the gateway to a massive explosion of technology. The innumerable breakthroughs in material revolution will be the foundation of Industry 5.0”

The event began with an address by Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, MP- Lok Sabha, the chief guest. Speaking on the digital transformation of India, he discussed the role of Digital India in bridging the digital divide and achieving digital inclusion. He also discussed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for the transformation of the nation through technology, and the transformative impact of programmes like Make-In-India, Start-up India and Stand-up India. He concluded by highlighting the role of this conference in reflecting on this discussion

Further, Shri k Rajaraman, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications, Government of India said, “One of the biggest challenges today is how we can drive growth in order to bring employment and progress in different spheres of life, and it is important that that growth be founded on financial and economic stability. It is also to get stakeholders together to brainstorm on how we can support the growth of various segments of India and enable our youth to become employable in various industries and around the world.”

Shri Rajaraman also spoke on the principle of Gati Shakti, which is to raise productivity in the economy, individuals and systems as a whole. He further emphasized the need to create global champions, and how leveraging technology to make this possible is the way to go. Shri Rajaraman also highlighted that technology must not be viewed as a means for fewer job opportunities for others, but a creator of new opportunities for the youth of our country.

Further, the event featured a manufacturing spotlight, discussing key technology trends in the manufacturing ecosystem, The Manufacturing sector spotlight included a list of sessions namely the Opening Address by Suman Bose, Manufacturing Spotlight Chair, FTC, Making Manufacturing Smart by Sanjay Shanbagh, Siemens, Innovation for Industry: Breakthroughs in Material Science & Nano Tech by panelists Suraj Rengarajan, Applied Materials, Suchismita Sanyal, General Manager, Shell and Suman Bose, Manufacturing Spotlight Chair, FTC. The spotlight concluded with a session on Future of Manufacturing: Why Quality Matters by Sridhar Dharamrajan, Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence.

The spotlight highlighted the challenges and innovations in the Manufacturing industry, and new-age breakthroughs and advancements seen in the field of material science, while also showcasing the need for reduction in energy wastage. The session concluded with the thought that, as long as there is a shortage or a need, there will be innovators and leaders who will find ways to close the gap.

Speaking at the event, Suchismita Sanyal, General Manager, Computational Science, Shell said, ‘The world and various environment-friendly companies are rapidly moving towards the aspect of material science which is at the heart of digitalization and energy transition. At Shell, we are developing materials that are sustainable and will cater to energy transition. Blockchain platforms are being leveraged to track activities right from their inception. There is a need to maximize renewable energy usage which can enable more guided and focused experimentation.’

The two-day national technology conference is centered on the theme ‘Decoding tomorrow’s customer demands”, and focuses on the opportunities and challenges that the customer demands of the future will reveal. It discusses future-focused technology innovation in the form of stimulating panel discussions, insightful keynotes, use case demonstrations and high-octane tech debates (both 2-way and 3-way debates) with industry leaders and experts, unveiling technology 5 years from now.

Institution of Engineering and Technology – India

The IET office started operations in India in 2006, in Bangalore. Today, we have over 13,000 members and have the largest membership base for the IET outside of the UK. Given the increasing global importance of India as an engineering hub our aim is to make an impact that has relevance both locally and internationally. Our strategy is to make a meaningful impact on the overall competency and skill levels within the Indian engineering community and play an influencing role with industry in relation to technology innovation and solving problems of public importance. We want to do this through working in partnership with industry, academia and government, focussing on the application of practical skills within both learning & career life cycles, driving innovation and thought leadership through high impact sectors.