Arora said pulling together data from multiple machines and systems gives factories visibility into operational gaps that are otherwise hard to see, letting them improve output and cut operating costs. Tata Communications sells a product called Factory 360 that combines connectivity, connected devices and AI tools to show operators the gap between a plant's installed capacity and what it's actually producing.

Arora said throughput improvements have ranged from 30% to 200% in some cases, using the same resources.

The system is built to work with equipment already on the floor, including machinery 20 or 30 years old, by converting analogue signals from older machines into digital information. Arora said AI can flag early signs of anomalies before equipment actually fails, shifting plants from reacting to conventional alarms toward a proactive feedback loop.

Arora tied that detection capability directly to worker safety. "If I'm taking care of my workers and safety, I'm taking care of efficiency because the lines are not stopping," he said.

He also said the algorithms can run on customer premises without sending data externally, and that proof-of-concept trials can be demonstrated in under a week.