Says Rohit Dashrathi, Founder and Director Rucha Yantra LLP, which provides robotics solutions for material handling challenges, in this interview.

Kindly brief us about Rucha Yantra and solutions it offers to the industry
Rucha Yantra is a leading Indian company that provides robotics solutions for material handling challenges. With our innovative team of engineers, we specialise in building Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) that handle floor transportation of material from one point to another without human intervention. We also specialise in customised Special Purpose Machines (SPMs) and Robotic Integration & Automation services. Our aim at Yantra is to develop effective, reliable, and affordable solutions for challenge that our customers face on a daily basis.

What are the advantages of your products & services? How do they help customers to increase their efficiency and productivity?
Our products are developed to reduce cost, increase productivity and efficiently solve material handling issues. Manufacturers benefit immensely through a host of Industry 4.0 features such as remote performance monitoring, auto loading-unloading accessories, and wireless charging. Our AGVs and mobile robots are rugged for manufacturing and commercial setups' challenging conditions. What makes them suitable for shop floor is their design - compact and innovative - that lets them access almost any section of the floor. All in all, manufacturers can rely on Yantra AGVs to increase the speed of floor transportation, reduce errors, and boost productivity.

What kind of challenges are manufacturers facing today?
The spread of the coronavirus pandemic came as a heavy blow to the world economy and led to a massive deceleration in the manufacturing sector. Supply chain disruptions, social distancing on high-touch assembly lines, limited ability to travel, and the need for oversight add significant complexity to today’s manufacturing processes. While adjusting to the ‘new normal’ was a daunting task, getting back to the ‘old normal’ could be even bigger. Risks to people’s safety, varied regulations in different geographies, and increased pressure on costs shall be the main challenges going forward.

Is Covid 19 pandemic leading to increase in demand for automation?
It is definite that the COVID-19 pandemic has made people realise the importance of automation and as the situation improves, many leading businesses have started taking steps to ensure smooth operation and survive this crisis situation. I believe in the power of automation in solving manufacturing challenges posed by the pandemic. Social distancing, avoiding health risks, and cost reduction can all be addressed by increasing automation.

Are automation solutions presently available in the market cost-effective?
I do understand manufacturers’ complaint that automation solutions, today, cost a lot and are thus not readily willing to invest. But I must maintain that manufacturers should look at automation from a long-term perspective. While the upfront cost may seem high, in the long run, they shall be more than offset by the benefits.

Will the need for upskilling growing with the rise in usage of automation?
Automation shall significantly transform many job roles let alone eliminate some of them. Thus, employees and higher management will have to co-exist with automation and other similar trends in the future. For such a scenario, upskilling is a must for survival.