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During these trying times when the industry is heavily affected with economical issues came up the pandemic called Covid 19 and disrupted the industry completely. We at Industrial Automation Magazine have taken an initiative to bring the industry together and share their viewpoints so that others reading can take measures accordingly to have minimal damage.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in interviews are personal, not necessarily of the organisations represented.
Dr K Nandakumar, is a Chemical Engineer (B.Chem) with specialisation in petroleum refining from the batch of 1970 – University of Kerala. He worked in Cochin Refineries and FACT (Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd) before embarking on his entrepreneurial venture – Chemtrols. He is Convenor, CII Maharashtra Panel on MSME. Chemtrols Industries Private Limited produces electronic equipment. The Company offers flame and gas detection systems, metal tube rotameters, level instruments, control valves, power distribution network management, and other mechanical equipment. Chemtrols Industries serves customers in India and the United Arab Emirates.
Yes, of course. The sickness from this Coronavirus or Covid-19, started sometime in September last year in China. But until mid-December no serious information was given out, only by January end/early February 2020 caution/alert is given and then the WHO came into the picture. Most valuable 3 months are lost for the world to start preparing.
Depending on the Sector, Sub-Sector and Segment, implications vary. But every sector is impacted, many businesses on multiple fronts. Almost all, barring very few got affected/will get affected financially. The magnitude of impact may vary from mild in the short term to severe in the long term, severe from beginning itself to insolvent in medium term, again depends on Micro, Small, Medium or Large, Manufacturing or Service. Again depends on how fast the virus is tamed and extent of spread across the country, also how fast and affordable medication is put into commercial use.
Give WHO more teeth to punish errant Governments for failing to report newer type of diseases in time. Establish more research laboratories in various disciplines of human health care and all the more taking immediate steps to enhance health care awareness and services across regions and nations.
High accuracy thermal scanners are to be manufactured in large numbers. They are reliable and are to be used to detect. Incentivisation/subsidy/reduced GST rate can also considered.
Work from home or WFH will undergo paradigm shift in certain soft disciplines. But Manufacturing, MRO (maintenance, repair, overhaul) services, intense technology research, etc., will continue to be at respective locations.
Boost for automation: This is already on with Industry 4.0. Manufacturing had already embraced this in many parts of the world. In India, Government support is essential for MSMEs to adopt automation across manufacturing, as cost of initial investment and skilled resources are high.
We need to be prepared for any eventuality at any time. This clarion call, while easy to say, is very difficult to prepare. But we should strive hard and for that – Nation First should be our fundamental aim of life.
#April 2020 Covid Special
To say the world is passing through trying times is to state the obvious. Also evident is the fact that for too long the world has been ignoring the warning signs of environmental degradation fuelled by human excesses and greed. But this is no time for ifs and buts, nor recrimination. Instead, the crisis should be used as an opportunity to make the required course correction to make the world a safer place for all living beings, and the ecological balance, restored.
Industrial Automation invited a cross section of industry leaders to offer their views and possible course of action as a way forward from this situation, even as governments across the world and the people are trying to make sense from the still evolving scenario.
To read the full cover story Please click here
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