Lack of skilled labour make Indian SMEs deploy robots on factory floors

With high labour costs and skilled workers hard to come by, India's small enterprises are deploying robots on their factory floors, writes Peerzada Abrar

Tucked away in a lane in the Bengaluru suburb of Peenya, and surrounded by temples, garment shops and provision stores, lies the nondescript factory of Suparna Plastics. It is a small, privately-held company which makes ball valves that are mainly used in irrigation piping and plumbing systems. Inside, the hangar-like building reverberates with grinding metallic sounds as humans and robots work together.  
 
Suparna Plastics introduced robots on its factory floor in early 2018 as it was finding it tough to maintain operations owing to rising labour costs and lack of skilled workers.
 
“During peak season, we often could