Green, The New Black in Manufacturing

With the growing realization of the benefits that stem from sustainable manufacturing methods and technologies, manufacturers today are more willing to go green than ever. Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA), in its commitment to steer the Indian machine tool industry towards increased progress, also lends support to this much-needed manufacturing trend.

Green has become a buzzword in almost every sphere of activity today. Taking stock of the advantages that entail the adoption of green manufacturing, the Indian manufacturing industry is also steadily but surely warming up to it.

With environmental concerns bothering our very existence, the industry is taking the much-required initiative of using energy and other resources efficiently and minimizing the generation of waste. In order to become sustainable and gain a competitive edge, businesses have started adopting environmental-friendly manufacturing practices and renewing their production processes.

Green Advantages

Everything is green in such an industrial set-up – with workers using fewer natural resources, a decrease in pollution, elimination of waste, recycling, use of renewable energy, water conservation, product stewardship and lifecycle, reuse of materials, and moderate emissions in manufacturing processes, and so on. Companies that adopt green practices in manufacturing benefit through cost savings, brand enhancement with customers, and also attract higher investor interests.

For green manufacturing to succeed, the industry needs to plan for green as a core business strategy, execute green initiatives across the value chain, and communicate its benefits to all stakeholders involved. Although the Indian manufacturing industry has begun showing its inclination towards adopting green practices in its activities, there is a substantial scope on the policy front, both for the manufacturing of green products and the implementation of sustainable processes to go up a notch. Once fully implemented it will bring substantial benefits, tangible as well as intangible.

On the impact of green manufacturing on the machine tool industry, P Ramadas, President, Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA), notes that companies gain an edge in competitiveness and profits when they successfully reduce carbon footprints and make sustainable green practices an integral part of their value proportion to consumers. V Anbu, Director General & CEO, IMTMA, seconds his take and adds that industrial units are slowly transforming to become green centers. The industry, however, needs to develop a well-drafted plan for long-term returns. The Government, he further adds, can chip in with regulatory mechanisms which will help the industry.

Supporting the Cause

With the view to aid its member companies in their quest to become world-class green manufacturing companies and enable them to manufacture machine tools as green products, IMTMA has set up a Green Manufacturing Cell in June 2018. Six companies – Ace Designers Ltd, Ace Manufacturing Systems Ltd, Kennametal India Ltd, UCAM Pvt Ltd, Wendt (India) Ltd, and Yuken India Ltd – have registered under this program. IMTMA sees green manufacturing as a means to prevent pollution, conserve energy and save natural resources. Towards this, the Association conducts trainings, seminars, and other forms of support to help companies achieve Green Company ratings from certified green experts or agencies such as CII GBC Green Co.

Albeit a tad late, the Indian machine tool industry is taking heed of the situation that demands being mindful of the resources it consumes and the waste that is left in the wake of its processes. It’s a long journey ahead but what matters is that it’s begun.