AI-powered digital twins, Cobots, agentic AI, physical AI & edge computing are enabling an anticipatory AI-first manufacturing ecosystem

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), ), a leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, launched the TCS Digital Twindex report for the manufacturing industry at Hannover Messe 2025 in Germany — one of the world’s leading industrial technology trade fairs. The report reveals how AI-powered digital twins are transforming manufacturing, driving efficiency, adaptability, and resilience.

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The report highlights how AI-powered digital twins, collaborative robots (Cobots), agentic AI, physical AI, and edge computing are converging to create smarter, more sustainable, and human-centric manufacturing ecosystems—enabling the shift toward anticipatory, AI-first enterprises.  

Overall, the TCS Digital Twindex report identifies five key trends shaping the future of manufacturing:

• Industry 4.5 and Beyond: The next phase of manufacturing evolution, where AI, automation, and digital twins converge to enable anticipatory, adaptive enterprises.
• Digital Twins as Real-Time Data Fabric: Acting as the connective tissue for enterprise intelligence—synchronizing data in real time to drive predictive insights and operational resilience.
• AI as Orchestrator of Intelligence: AI systems are evolving beyond narrow use cases to orchestrate decisions, simulations, and optimizations across the manufacturing value chain.
• Modular and Intelligent Manufacturing: The shift toward decentralized, plug-and-play production models powered by AI and digital twins, enabling hyper-localized, responsive, and intelligent manufacturing at scale.
• The Human-AI Symphony in Manufacturing: AI will play a growing role in enhancing human capabilities, supporting better decision-making, improving safety, and enabling seamless collaboration between people and intelligent systems on the factory floor.

Rev Lebaredian, VP of Omniverse and Simulation Technology at NVIDIA, “Physical and Industrial AI are born in simulation, where they can be tested and validated before being deployed in the real world. By bridging the gap between the digital and physical, the world’s heavy industries are paving the way for software-defined manufacturing and intelligent, autonomous systems.”

“Physical and Industrial AI are born in simulation, where they can be tested and validated before being deployed in the real world.” — Rev Lebaredian, VP of Omniverse and Simulation Technology at NVIDIA

As manufacturers embrace AI and automation, experts underscore that digitization is the essential first step. Without digitized processes, true automation and intelligence deployment remain out of reach.

Helenio Gilabert, Global Head of Offer Creation, Industrial Automation Services, Schneider Electric, said, “If it’s not digitized, you cannot automate it. If you cannot automate it, you cannot deploy intelligence on top of it. To fully harness AI and digital twins, start with a clear digitization strategy—only then can you move toward AI-driven optimization.”

“If it’s not digitized, you cannot automate it. If you cannot automate it, you cannot deploy intelligence on top of it. To fully harness AI and digital twins, start with a clear digitization strategy—only then can you move toward AI-driven optimization.” — Helenio Gilabert, Global Head of Offer Creation, Industrial Automation Services, Schneider Electric

The report emphasizes that virtual first testing through digital twins is critical to building resilient, autonomous systems. By refining AI-powered processes in the virtual environment, manufacturers can reduce errors and improve efficiency when scaling to real-world production.

Paulina Chmielarz, Director, Digital & Innovation, Industrial Operations, JLR, said, “Digital twins are a game-changer in our AI journey. They unlock vast amounts of new data, introduce fresh categories of insights, and open entirely new scenarios for exploration and innovation.”

“Digital twins are a game-changer in our AI journey. They unlock vast amounts of new data, introduce fresh categories of insights, and open entirely new scenarios for exploration and innovation.” — Paulina Chmielarz, Director, Digital & Innovation, Industrial Operations, JLR

The report also reinforces that human expertise must remain central to decision-making, even as AI takes on a larger role in data analysis and process optimization. It envisions a future where AI augments, rather than replaces, human capabilities. At the same time, the report cautions that delayed AI and digital twin adoption could undermine manufacturers’ competitiveness. Those that fail to embrace these transformative technologies risk falling behind.

“Imagine a situation within the next decade where AI agents could be helping us make better decisions…help us identify problems before they happen.“ — Zvi Feuer, SVP, Digital Manufacturing Software, & CEO Siemens Digital Industries Software in Israel

Zvi Feuer, Senior Vice President, Digital Manufacturing Software, and CEO Siemens Digital Industries Software in Israel, said, “Imagine a situation within the next decade where AI agents could be helping us make better decisions…help us identify problems before they happen. We can go and fix these problems (and) keep the production running smoothly… We can make sure all the logistics arrive to the right spot at the right time. This is where I see a big, big change.”

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TCS is participating in Hannover Messe 2025 (March 31–April 4, Hannover, Germany), at Hall 17, Booth G16, showcasing innovative solutions across AI-powered digital twin platforms, generative AI, agentic AI, physical AI, IoT and digital engineering, cybersecurity, and sustainable manufacturing—empowering manufacturers to become adaptive, future-ready enterprises positioned for a new era of industry leadership.

Disclaimer: This article is based on a press release and has been published with minimal modifications for clarity and formatting.