Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has launched India’s first ‘lights-out’ factory lab, the TCS Industrial Autonomy & Engineering Lab, in Pune. This facility showcases AI-driven manufacturing, utilizing digital twins, robotics, and autonomous systems to simulate and optimize production with minimal human intervention, advancing its commitment to Al-first manufacturing solutions.
TCS Launches India’s First Lights-Out AI Factory Lab in Pune
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has officially launched the TCS Industrial Autonomy & Engineering Lab – Lights-Out Factory, located at its Sahyadri Park campus in Pune. This pioneering facility is described as India’s maiden ‘lights-out’ factory lab, designed to demonstrate how self-optimising factories can automate operations using the TCS Human+AI Service Autonomy Model. The lab integrates technologies such as digital twins, robotics, industrial AI, factory control systems, and real-time operational intelligence to facilitate live manufacturing environments.
Advancing AI-First Manufacturing
A ‘lights-out’ factory operates with autonomous systems capable of running production with minimal human input. The Pune lab features a fully robotic battery pack assembly line, positioning it as the first in India to showcase principles of lights-out manufacturing. Through simulations on this setup, manufacturers can prototype, validate, and scale AI-first production systems. This initiative addresses a key industry challenge of translating Industry 4.0, AI, and robotics concepts into practical operating models, offering customers a controlled environment to assess industrial scenarios and reduce deployment risks.
Expanding Innovation Footprint
The TCS Industrial Autonomy & Engineering Lab – Lights-Out Factory is an expansion of TCS’ Industrial Autonomy & Engineering innovation efforts. Earlier in the year, TCS also launched the TCS Industrial Autonomy & Engineering Lab Powered by NVIDIA in Bengaluru, aimed at accelerating Physical AI innovation for industrial and mobility applications. These capabilities support a range of industry use cases, including predictive maintenance, automated quality inspection, real-time process optimisation, and human-machine collaboration.
Industry Collaboration and Vision
Joakim Landholm, SVP Commercial & Operations Development at SKF, commented on the lab, stating, “Reducing friction has always been central to industrial progress, and the next wave of manufacturing will depend on smarter, more energy-efficient, and more reliable operations. We see TCS Industrial Autonomy & Engineering Lab – Lights-Out Factory as an important step in helping industry translate advanced automation and industrial AI into measurable operational value.”
Sreenivasa Chakravarti, Global Head & Vice President of Industrial Autonomy and Engineering at TCS, added, “We are reimagining those environments and building factories for the future. With our state-of-the-art TCS Industrial Autonomy & Engineering Lab – Lights-Out Factory, we are advancing TCS’ vision of engineering Al-first production systems. We have built a facility that can help customers turn their aspiration of lights-out manufacturing into a reality. The lab provides a tangible demonstration of how the Human + Al model can help enterprises progress from digitally enabled operations to increasingly autonomous production systems.”
Key Capabilities Showcased
The Pune facility highlights interconnected capabilities for engineering, manufacturing, and factory operations, including:
- Autonomous Factory Concepts: AI-enabled production optimisation, predictive maintenance, quality inspection, and resilient operations.
- Digital Twin and Simulation Environments: Virtual models and test environments for validating factory scenarios.
- Vision AI, Robotics, and Industrial Automation: Use cases supporting machine perception, adaptive workflows, and human-machine collaboration.
- Sensor-to-Cloud Industrial Intelligence: Connecting shop-floor signals with edge and cloud platforms for real-time decision-making.
- Software-Defined Engineering: Enabling industrial systems to evolve continuously through software, data, and AI-driven automation.
This launch underscores TCS’ commitment to building a more intelligent, connected, and sustainable future by enabling manufacturers to reimagine their products, plants, and operations.
Source: BSE
