INDUSTRY 4.0 AND THE CONNECTED SOCIETY

Despite India's notable advancements in IT and communications technologies, it still needs to overcome the challenges of a fully connected world

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The fourth industrial revolution, widely known as Industry 4.0, is transforming societies around the world. It promises a future where digital, physical and biological systems interconnect and interact in unprecedented ways, leading to transformative changes in how we live, work and interact. Let us examine the concept of Industry 4.0 and its implications for the connected society, focusing on the case of Japan and understanding the implications for India.

THE CASE OF JAPAN: SOCIETY 5.0

In Japan, the concept of the connected society is shaping the lives of its citizens and the direction of its economy. It is characterised by the widespread use of information technology to create networks of connectivity between individuals, communities, institutions, and things.

Being an influential player in the realm of technological advancements, Japan is proactively steering towards the realisation of Society 5.0. This initiative is aimed at transcending the boundaries of Industry 4.0 by integrating cyber and physical systems to create a human-centric society that balances economic advancement with the resolution of social problems.

Society 5.0 is the fifth stage in the evolution of societal structures. The concept builds on the preceding stages, namely: hunting societies (Society 1.0), agricultural societies (Society 2.0), industrial societies (Society 3.0), and information societies (Society 4.0). Society 5.0 represents a shift from a society of mass consumption to one that is oriented towards personalised services, addressing diverse consumer needs, and solving pressing societal challenges.