Kumar Bahukhandi
India stands at a critical juncture, with manufacturing expected to drive the next phase of growth and development. Recent Free Trade Agreements are expected to intensify global competition while opening new opportunities for Indian firms to integrate into global markets. At the same time, India’s development trajectory will require increasing manufacturing’s contribution to GDP from about 15 percent to 25 percent, while addressing a dual challenge of leading in innovation-driven, technology-intensive manufacturing and enabling labour-intensive enterprises to achieve high productivity and create jobs.
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The Institute of Manufacturing and Economy: Rethinking Manufacturing of the Future
These imperatives formed the backdrop to the R&D Conclave on the Changing Nature of Innovation, held at Ahmedabad University in collaboration with the Centre for Technology, Innovation and Economic Research (CTIER). The Conclave brought together perspectives from national research and funding institutions, government, industry, and academia, including participation from the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Centre for Sustainable Energy and Mobility (C-SEM) and industry leaders from Tata Chemicals, Pidilite Industries Limited, and NXP Semiconductors.
In his keynote address at the conclave, Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, Chief Executive Officer of ANRF, spoke about the various mechanisms being put in place to strengthen collaboration between industry and academia in advanced manufacturing. He also emphasised the growing importance of interdisciplinary approaches in addressing complex technological and manufacturing challenges, and the need to align research, talent development, and industrial capability building.
On the sidelines of the Conclave, Ahmedabad University announced the setting up of the Institute of Manufacturing and Economy to rethink the future of manufacturing in relation to innovation, productivity, and economic strategy.
The transformation of manufacturing demands advances in materials, processes, and digital manufacturing, alongside stronger linkages between small and large firms and better coordination across supply chains. It also requires new approaches to talent development and to research, both managerial and technological, to enhance productivity and innovation.
Conceived in response, the Institute of Manufacturing and Economy brings together scientists, engineers, economists, managers, social scientists, policymakers, and industry practitioners, and treats manufacturing as a cross-disciplinary challenge spanning engineering, management, public policy, economics, and science, with a strong emphasis on collaboration with industry and government.
“Manufacturing challenges cannot be addressed in isolation. Envisioned as a leading global centre for research, education, innovation, and industrial problem-solving, the Institute recognises that productivity, technology adoption, research translation, workforce readiness, and supply chain coordination require integrated perspectives and sustained collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers,” said Professor Pankaj Chandra, Vice Chancellor of Ahmedabad University. Through sustained engagement with firms and industrial clusters, the Institute aims to translate research into solutions relevant to manufacturing practice while developing a distinct and informed point of view on Indian manufacturing.
According to Professor Sunil Kale, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science and Co-Director of the Institute, strengthening manufacturing requires close engagement with firms alongside a deep understanding of industrial policy, labour capabilities, productivity, and innovation systems. Advanced manufacturing will require systems integration that brings AI into various production domains. The Institute is planned to work closely with manufacturing industry in India.
The Institute’s activities will include new product and process optimisation, executive education programmes, manufacturing clinics for SMEs, publishing policy and competitiveness reports, and the biannual Stepwell Manufacturing and Economy Dialogue. It will also support postgraduate education at Ahmedabad University in areas such as composites, microelectronics and semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, 3D printing and operations management, alongside initiatives that support startups in advanced manufacturing.
The Institute draws on the breadth and depth of facilities at Ahmedabad University, including cutting-edge laboratories, fabrication and prototyping shops, The Learning Factory, VentureStudio, Tinkerers’ Laboratory, High Performance Computing infrastructure, Bloomberg Laboratory and incubation and research infrastructure. These facilities will support collaborative research, prototyping, testing, and training in partnership with industry. Through its integrated approach to research, education, and industry collaboration, the Institute of Manufacturing and Economy seeks to contribute to India’s transition towards a high-productivity, innovation-driven manufacturing ecosystem.
About Ahmedabad University
Ahmedabad University is a leading private, non-profit research university offering students a liberal education focused on interdisciplinary learning, practice orientation, and research thinking.
The University has been
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Recognised by the Government of Gujarat as a Centre of Excellence.
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Accredited with ‘A’ grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).
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Awarded Leadership and Management Team of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards Asia 2025.
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Awarded a 5-star rating, the highest awarded in the Gujarat State Institutional Rating Framework (GSIRF) for 2021-22 and 2023-24, by the Knowledge Consortium of Gujarat (KCG), Department of Education, Government of Gujarat.
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Awarded the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Award for Excellence 2024 for our University Centre.
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Awarded a ‘Platinum Rating’ by the Indian Green Building Council for sustainability and green practices.
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Recognised by the UGC under Section 12(B) of the UGC Act, becoming one of the very few private research universities to have been awarded this recognition for select research universities.
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Recognised as a Highly Commended University for Teaching and Learning Strategy of the Year in the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards Asia 2023.
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Awarded the AACSB’s Innovations That Inspire Award 2023 for its Foundation Programme.
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Awarded Gold Rating by the Indian Green Building Council for achieving the Green Building Standards at our University Centre.
The University, established in 2009, is rooted in the vision of one of India’s finest educational foundations, the Ahmedabad Education Society, which was founded in 1935 by nationalist leaders. Programmes at the University range from bachelors to doctoral levels in humanities and social sciences, natural sciences, engineering, and management through its 14 Schools and Centres:
Amrut Mody School of Management | Bagchi School of Public Health | School of Arts and Sciences | School of Engineering and Applied Science | Ahmedabad Design Lab | Centre for Heritage Management | Centre for Learning Futures | Global Centre for Environment and Energy | International Centre for Space and Cosmology | Sahyog: Centre for Promoting Health | Stepwell Centre for Asian Futures | The Climate Institute | The Institute of Manufacturing and Economy | VentureStudio
An urban university, Ahmedabad promotes independent-mindedness and diversity across all dimensions of its activity and helps students mature into critical thinkers who are analytically equipped, practically oriented, and contextually aware global citizens. The University provides a contemporary educational framework that brings liberal arts, sciences, and the professions to engage together in creating new knowledge for addressing complex challenges of the society and in offering majors that merge the boundaries of disciplines to prepare students for the new economy.
