We Are Bringing Workplace To The People Through IIot

IoT solutions are going beyond the much-hyped early adopters like automobiles, consumer durables, and smart homes. In an engaging interaction with Dataquest,  Ashish Gaikwad, MD, Honeywell Automation talks about how IoT and IIoT is being deployed in process industries like oil and gas, mining, manufacturing, and what has  been some of the initial experiences in India

- Malavika Sacchdeva

Is Industrial IoT, which seems to be the buzzword at honeywell, any different from the IoT that we know?  IoT has driven the world in many aspects. This is because there is an increased appreciation for smart objects, which tends to make life easier. In recent times, almost every appliance we use, ranging from clothing, cars, washing machines and other household electronics are being considered for some level of connectivity to the internet. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) can be viewed as a systematic expansion of automation and a progressive improvement of how machines communicate to each other at the manufacturing sites. It connects 3P’s (processes, people, and plants) for efficient business interactions and collaborations.

For instance, IIoT has become a necessity for people working at very remote places such as off-shore oil sites and mines. In the past, we had to send people to work which was very risky but with the help of IIoT, the work will come to people. It will make life simpler and easy for them.

How are process industries responding to new technology that honeywell brought on the table?

Today, it is very difficult to categorize between company that is telecom, industrial, IT, etc. It is all becoming a melting point. People who will understand and leverage these changes will reap more and more benefits. According to me, people should not do things for the sake of doing it but should really solve the unsolved problems by applying IIoT. We see that it is a right direction. It still needs some time to grow as India’s IT market is growing very fast and the government of India is trying to push the skill of India towards Make in India and Cashless India. Eventually, it will become IIOT. Therefore, we remain very optimistic about it. Soon people will recognize and it will become a part of life.