ARC Advisory Group’s 21st India Forum, titled Driving Sustainability, Energy Transition, and Performance through Digitalisation, on July 12 and 13, 2023 saw a turnout of over 300 delegates. This was the first in-person event that ARC India hosted after three years. The enthusiasm and excitement was palpable as the suppliers and end users networked, shared best practices, and got an overall view of market trends and requirements. In recent years, the resonating thread across all ARC global forums has been to achieve sustainability, energy transition, and enhance performance through digitalisation. In sync with the forum’s theme, the inaugural was done by ‘eco-friendly watering of plants’ by the 10 sponsors.

This two-day forum featured more than 35 executive speakers and panellists from several industries to share their experiences in digital transformation and sustainability initiatives; advances in automation: architectures, networks, standards; industrial AI and analytics; advanced automation enhancing operational excellence; OPA ecosystem developments; and plant asset management advances/enabling the energy transition. The pandemic years gave birth to new ways of thinking, communicating, and collaborating globally. While technology has opened new doors of opportunity, it is clear that organisations that do not adapt with agility to the accelerating pace of change will become extinct.

The welcome address by G Ganapathiraman, Vice President and General Manager, ARC Advisory Group, India and the keynote addresses set the tenor for the presentations on both days.

Crux of the presentations
Digital transformation is the only way to effectively respond to the challenges industries face and to meet ESG (environmental, social, and governance) goals. Energy transition and sustainability are now being woven into the core fabric of business strategies of industrial companies, particularly manufacturing, utility, and oil and gas organisations. The global need for an energy transition towards sustainability is urgent and requires immediate action. This transition presents significant opportunities for technology innovation and economic growth. Open process automation that is standards based, collaborative, and facilitates interoperability is an important part of the digital transformation journey. Failure to transform is likely to undermine the future viability of the organisation.

Digital transformation is a whole new way of doing business, supporting customers, leveraging the available services, and adapting to a changed business environment. Customer relationships have become more dynamic. The growing demand for sustainable products and services coupled with regulatory mandates has made sustainability a vital component of organisational strategy. The last few years have been marred by geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions, and sudden changes in market regulations and demand. So, only those organisations that can adapt with agility can survive on this competitive turf.

Case studies and roadmaps highlighted effective implementations and provided strategic guidelines and direction to those treading on similar paths. The speakers advocated a step-by-step approach:

The attendees garnered information and best practices from the early adopters and understood the pain points along the way. The interactive panel discussions that followed each session, cleared doubts about how new technologies can be deployed in a responsible and sustainable manner.