As digitalisation transforms textile chemical manufacturing, smart manufacturing is becoming central to improving efficiency, quality, and sustainability. In this interview, Anjani Kumar Prasad, Vice President–South Asia, Archroma, discusses how the company is integrating automation, data analytics, and digital monitoring across its dyes and chemicals production. He explains how these technologies are enhancing process consistency, enabling responsible manufacturing, and strengthening the company’s ability to support evolving performance and sustainability requirements across the textile value chain.
How have smart manufacturing practices been integrated into your production processes?
In dyes and chemical manufacturing for the textile industry, smart manufacturing at Archroma focuses on digital-enabled operational excellence, quality assurance, and responsible manufacturing.
We have integrated automation and digital monitoring on reaction, blending and finishing lines to enhance consistency and reduce variability. Systems integration linking production with planning, quality and supply chain functions to improve transparency and responsiveness, and use of data analytics and dashboards to support informed decision-making on production scheduling, material flows and quality performance.
All smart manufacturing efforts are implemented under robust governance frameworks that ensure compliance with safety, environmental and quality standards across our textile chemicals and dyes operations.
What measurable benefits have you observed from adopting automation?
Automation and digital practices in our textile dyes and chemical plants have contributed to enhanced operational outcomes, including:
- Process consistency and quality reliability in complex dye chemistries and specialty chemical formulations
- Improved operational efficiency with reduced cycle time and better material utilization
- Enhanced resource and energy management through real-time monitoring of utilities and emissions
- Better delivery reliability through improved integration between manufacturing and supply chain planning
These improvements contribute to delivering consistent performance to textile customers while supporting internal operational goals.
How has automation helped your organization respond to labor, quality, and sustainability challenges?
In textile dyes and chemical manufacturing:
- Automation has reduced manual variability in critical process steps, allowing our skilled workforce to focus on supervision, optimisation and quality oversight
- Digital controls help ensure repeatability and compliance with customer quality standards and regulatory requirements for chemical products
- Real-time monitoring of energy, water and emissions supports our sustainability commitments and helps improve efficiency in resource-intensive operations
Together, these capabilities strengthen operational resilience while maintaining safety and quality.
What new technologies or process upgrades are being considered?
To further enhance smart manufacturing in textile dyes and chemicals, we are evaluating and implementing technologies that support advanced analytics to improve production planning, predictive insights and quality trend analysis. Greater digital linkage between R&D, pilot trials, and commercial manufacturing to reduce time to scale new chemistries, and enhanced traceability systems to support responsible sourcing, product stewardship, and compliance reporting.
All technology investments follow structured review processes to ensure alignment with business strategy and operational risk management.
How do you see automation shaping competitiveness over the next 3–5 years?
In the context of dyes and chemical manufacturing for textiles, automation and digitalization will be key enablers of:
- Stable and scalable production, even for complex specialty chemistries
- Agile response to evolving customer and regulatory requirements
- Sustainable operations through better resource efficiency and emissions awareness
- Value creation by strengthening reliability, quality, and on-time delivery
These capabilities support Archroma’s role in partnering with the textile value chain, helping customers achieve both performance and sustainability goals.”