The report reveals how AI-powered digital twins are transforming manufacturing, driving efficiency, adaptability, and resilience.
Drawing on insights from industry pioneers and technology leaders such as Siemens, Schneider Electric, NVIDIA, and JLR, alongside TCS executives and futurists, the report presents an in-depth view of digital twin technology adoption, and the rise of AI-powered anticipatory ecosystems. Through qualitative research, it captures curated, future-focused conversations and insights from interviews with industry leaders. TCS' multi-decade presence in the manufacturing industry, deep domain expertise, advanced digital twin solutions, and cutting-edge Generative AI capabilities further lend depth to the report and credibility to shape the dialogue on adaptive, AI-first enterprises.
Future-Ready Manufacturing: Building Intelligent Enterprises
Anupam Singhal, President – Manufacturing, TCS, said, “We stand at the threshold of a new manufacturing era, driven by digital twins, Generative AI, quantum-powered advancements, and a deep commitment to everything from safety to sustainability. The ‘TCS Digital Twindex Report for Future-Ready Manufacturing’ encapsulates our vision for building intelligent, future-ready, and adaptive enterprises—redefining industry competitiveness and enriching the lives of citizens and communities around the globe.”
Amid the rising need for automation and sustainability, the report offers a strategic blueprint for manufacturers to thrive in an AI and digital twin-driven era. It highlights how AI-powered digital twins, collaborative robots (Cobots), agentic AI, physical AI, and edge computing are converging to create smarter, more sustainable, and human-centric manufacturing ecosystems—enabling the shift toward anticipatory, AI-first enterprises.
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Manufacturing: Insights from TCS Digital Twindex Report
Overall, the TCS Digital Twindex Report identifies five key trends shaping the future of manufacturing:
- Industry 4.5 and Beyond: The next phase of manufacturing evolution, where AI, automation, and digital twins converge to enable anticipatory, adaptive enterprises.
- Digital Twins as Real-Time Data Fabric: Acting as the connective tissue for enterprise intelligence—synchronising data in real time to drive predictive insights and operational resilience.
- AI as Orchestrator of Intelligence: AI systems are evolving beyond narrow use cases to orchestrate decisions, simulations, and optimisations across the manufacturing value chain.
- Modular and Intelligent Manufacturing: The shift toward decentralised, plug-and-play production models powered by AI and digital twins, enabling hyper-localised, responsive, and intelligent manufacturing at scale.
- The Human-AI Symphony in Manufacturing: AI will play a growing role in enhancing human capabilities, supporting better decision-making, improving safety, and enabling seamless collaboration between people and intelligent systems on the factory floor.
AI and Digital Twins: Transforming Manufacturing with Cutting-Edge Solutions
Rev Lebaredian, VP of Omniverse and Simulation Technology at NVIDIA, “Physical and Industrial AI are born in simulation, where they can be tested and validated before being deployed in the real world. By bridging the gap between the digital and physical, the world's heavy industries are paving the way for software-defined manufacturing and intelligent, autonomous systems.”
As manufacturers embrace AI and automation, experts underscore that digitisation is the essential first step. Without digitised processes, true automation and intelligence deployment remain out of reach.
Helenio Gilabert, Global Head of Offer Creation, Industrial Automation Services, Schneider Electric, said, “If it’s not digitised, you cannot automate it. If you cannot automate it, you cannot deploy intelligence on top of it. To fully harness AI and digital twins, start with a clear digitisation strategy—only then can you move toward AI-driven optimisation.”
Virtual First Testing and AI in Manufacturing
The report emphasises that virtual first testing through digital twins is critical to building resilient, autonomous systems. By refining AI-powered processes in the virtual environment, manufacturers can reduce errors and improve efficiency when scaling to real-world production.
Paulina Chmielarz, Director, Digital & Innovation, Industrial Operations, JLR, said, “Digital twins are a game-changer in our AI journey. They unlock vast amounts of new data, introduce fresh categories of insights, and open entirely new scenarios for exploration and innovation.”
Embracing AI to Stay Competitive in the Manufacturing Sector
The report also reinforces that human expertise must remain central to decision-making, even as AI takes on a larger role in data analysis and process optimisation. It envisions a future where AI augments, rather than replaces, human capabilities. At the same time, the report cautions that delayed AI and digital twin adoption could undermine manufacturers’ competitiveness. Those that fail to embrace these transformative technologies risk falling behind.
Zvi Feuer, Senior Vice President, Digital Manufacturing Software, and CEO Siemens Digital Industries Software in Israel, said, "Imagine a situation within the next decade where AI agents could be helping us make better decisions...help us identify problems before they happen. We can go and fix these problems (and) keep the production running smoothly... We can make sure all the logistics arrive to the right spot at the right time. This is where I see a big, big change."
TCS at Hannover Messe 2025: Showcasing the Future of Manufacturing
TCS is participating in Hannover Messe 2025 (March 31–April 4, Hannover, Germany), at Hall 17, Booth G16, showcasing innovative solutions across AI-powered digital twin platforms, generative AI, agentic AI, physical AI, IoT and digital engineering, cybersecurity, and sustainable manufacturing—empowering manufacturers to become adaptive, future-ready enterprises positioned for a new era of industry leadership.