CHENNAI: Japanese companies alfaTKG Co Ltd and OHKUMA IND Co Ltd have signed an MoU with Advanced Manufacturing Technology Development Centre (AMTDC) to establish a joint research centre for paperless manufacturing at the IIT Madras Research Park.
The partnership aims to bring advanced Japanese expertise in industrial automation, robotics, mechatronics and AI-driven manufacturing to Indian shop floors, particularly benefitting MSMEs preparing for digital transformation.
The new centre will serve as a hub for collaborative research and development, involving IIT Madras faculty, students and industry specialists. It will also deploy GAIA, alfaTKG’s AI-enabled manufacturing platform, on pilot production lines to demonstrate paperless workflows, real-time traceability and intelligent automation.
The MoU was signed by Toshio Takagi, president and CEO of alfaTKG Co Ltd, Japan, Katsuichi Kobori, president and CEO of OHKUMA IND Co Ltd, and N Ramesh Babu, secretary, AMTDC.
Ramesh Babu, head of mechanical engineering engineering at IIT Madras, said the initiative would strengthen industry-academia innovation and provide hands-on exposure to students and startups. While Takagi noted the centre would help develop digital manufacturing solutions tailored for India’s SME sector, Kobori emphasised OHKUMA’s commitment to advancing robotics and sheet-metal automation.