The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (OPSA) and the Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) co-organised a stakeholder consultation on 23 February 2026 at the Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI) in Bengaluru to deliberate on the modalities of a proposed Advanced Manufacturing Systems Mission. The government said the consultation sought structured inputs to strengthen India’s capabilities in advanced manufacturing systems.
The consultation brought together around 220 participants from government, industry associations, manufacturing enterprises, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), startups, academia, research institutions, and technology developers. Discussions covered CNC machine tools and controllers, advanced and special purpose machines, testing and metrology infrastructure, robotics and robotic arms, and advanced additive manufacturing systems including three-dimensional and four-dimensional printing.
Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, said advanced manufacturing systems underpin sectors such as aerospace, defence, electronics, automotive, energy, and medical devices. He stated that technological sovereignty and resilient supply chains require indigenous capabilities in high-precision machines, production systems, CNC controllers, sensors, and quality infrastructure. He cited the industry-led Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Fund and the grant-based Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) as mechanisms supporting deep-technology research and translational innovation, and emphasised localisation of critical technologies, alignment with global standards, Industry 4.0 readiness, and advanced skilling initiatives.
Parvinder Maini, Scientific Secretary, OPSA, said the proposed programmes were shaped through a year-long consultative process and highlighted the need for a Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-aligned mission architecture to bridge research and industrial deployment. She referred to the importance of targeted research and development, shared testing infrastructure, internationally benchmarked certification systems, and strengthened industry–academia collaboration.
S. Kris Gopalakrishnan, President of the Governing Council of CMTI and co-founder of Infosys, said the capital goods sector must enhance technological depth to support high-value industries. Vijay Mittal, Joint Secretary, MHI, stated that the ministry’s capital goods scheme has supported indigenous capital goods development and the establishment of test infrastructure, and that the proposed mission would support sustainable growth. Rakesh Kaur, Adviser and Scientist ‘G’ at OPSA, said stakeholder inputs would be critical in identifying priorities and defining implementation pathways.
The inaugural session included welcome remarks by Dr. Nagahanumaiah, Director of CMTI, and context presentations by Mohini Kelkar, President of the Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA), and B. Ravi, Director of the National Institute of Technology Surathkal (NIT Surathkal). Kommidi Niranjan Reddy, Joint Director at CMTI, also participated in the proceedings.
The Ball Screw Lead Error Testing and Certification System was inaugurated at CMTI under the Capital Goods Scheme of MHI. Participants visited laboratories and observed demonstrations of machines and instruments developed by CMTI, including vertical planetary mixing machines, aerospace line replaceable units, specialised test rigs, automatic optical inspection systems, and technologies from the Sensor Technology Development Centre.
Three parallel technical sessions were moderated by Vishwas R. Puttige, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Amace Solutions Pvt. Ltd.; B. Gurumoorthy, Professor at the Indian Institute of Science; and Chandrashekar U. C., Vice Chancellor of Godavari Technical University. Sixteen breakout working groups identified sub-themes and discussed technology priorities, collaborative research and development projects, budgets, timelines, and risk mitigation measures, with inputs to inform a draft mission proposal integrating research, validation, testing, and industrial deployment.
CMTI is a Bengaluru-based institution engaged in research and development in manufacturing technology and provides support to the capital goods and manufacturing sectors.
