Inauguration of the Digital Twin of an Autonomous Factory Lab at IIT Madras
We are delighted to share the inauguration of the Digital Twin of an Autonomous Factory Lab at IIT Madras on 14th October 2025, honoured by the presence of our Chief Guest - Prof. V. Kamakoti (Director, IIT Madras) and Guests of honour Mr. Abhishek Goyal (Managing Director and Global Delivery Lead in Industry X) & Mr. Bibin George (Managing Director of the Industry X practices), Accenture Banglore.
The event began with a welcome address by Prof. Krishnan Balasubramanian, Faculty-in-Charge, IITM Accenture Centre of Excellence (CoE), followed by inspiring remarks from our Guests of Honour and the inaugural address by the Chief Guest. The ceremony included the ribbon cutting and lighting of the lamp marking the launch of this pioneering research facility.
This initiative has been made possible through the strategic leadership of Mr. Avnish Sabharwal (Managing Director – Accenture Ventures and Ecosystem), who played a pivotal role in conceptualizing and driving this industry–academia collaboration between Accenture and IIT Madras. The partnership is being effectively managed by Mr. Balaji Sridharan (Accenture Ventures and Ecosystem), ensuring seamless coordination and execution between the two institutions.
Led by Prof. G.L. Samuel, along with Prof. N. Arunachalam, Prof. R. Jayaganthan, and Prof. M. Ramanathan from IIT Madras, and Dr. V. Suresh, who project-managed the initiative under IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation, together with the Accenture team - Mr. Sudiptha Mukhopadhyaya (Chief Architect, Industry X) and Mr. Varun (Senior Architect, Industry X) - under the Accenture Centre of Excellence (CoE), IIT Madras, who funded the initiative, the Digital Twin of an Autonomous Factory Lab represents a major leap towards the vision of smart, self-evolving, and interconnected manufacturing ecosystems.
The inauguration was also attended by Mr. Ashutosh T (Managing Director, Accenture Industry X), Prof. P. Chandramouli (Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras), Prof. Ramesh Babu (Professor Emeritus and Secretary, Advanced Manufacturing Technology Development Centre), and Dr. K. Hariharan (Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras), and other distinguished guests. Their presence greatly enriched the event and reflected their continued support for advancing digital manufacturing initiatives.
This lab integrates digital twin technology with automation, robotics, AI-driven analytics, and real-time industrial simulation enabling industries to virtually design, test, and optimize processes before implementation on the factory floor. It demonstrates how virtual and physical manufacturing systems can interact intelligently, paving the way for autonomous decision-making, predictive maintenance, and adaptive production lines.
During the inauguration, faculty members and researchers presented the technical capabilities and future directions of the lab, showcasing live demos of 3D Printer and CNC automation, robotic coordination, and real-time digital monitoring. The collaboration with Accenture reinforces a shared mission to accelerate innovation in next-generation digital manufacturing and prepare the industry for the era of Autonomous Factories.
Inauguration Images
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