Sustainability in Business: A Pathway for Indian Enterprises

Sustainability is no longer just a buzzword; it has become a key focus for businesses around the world, including in India. A PwC India report from October 2024 found that 93% of Indian manufacturers are adopting Industry 5.0, which combines human skills with advanced technologies like AI and IoT. This approach helps businesses boost profits while incorporating sustainable practices, showing their commitment to balancing economic growth with environmental care. 

India’s progress in renewable energy highlights this shift. According to statistics from Press Information Bureau, as of October 2024, the country’s renewable energy capacity reached 203.18 GW, making up 46.3% of its total installed electricity capacity. Additionally, government programs like the Eco-Niwas Samhita (ENS), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) and Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) certifications are creating clear pathways for industries to align their operations with sustainability goals. These combined efforts are helping India transition toward a greener and more sustainable future. 

Despite these encouraging developments, the path to sustainability is not without challenges. Systemic issues like energy inefficiencies, unforeseen equipment failures, and ineffective resource management hinder progress. Addressing these pain points requires leveraging innovative technologies and embracing transformative solutions. By reimagining traditional business models and adopting smarter practices, Indian businesses can turn sustainability from a challenge into an opportunity for long-term growth. Let’s delve deeper into these challenges and explore actionable strategies for success. 

A path to sustainability: Addressing industry challenges with smart solutions. 

1. Energy inefficiencies: Imagine a bustling manufacturing plant, operational 24/7. While machines churn out products during the day, they often consume energy unnecessarily during off-hours. This silent leakage in energy consumption contributes to inflated bills and carbon footprints. The absence of real-time energy monitoring makes it difficult for businesses to identify and plug these inefficiencies. 

🔹Smart energy management solutions: IoT-enabled energy monitoring systems provide real-time insights into energy usage. Solutions like sub-metering track energy patterns, helping businesses identify and address inefficiencies. AI-based algorithms can automatically reduce energy consumption during off-hours. 

✅Impact: Reduced energy bills, lower carbon emissions, and alignment with IGBC green building norms. 

2. Unforeseen equipment failures: A textile mill depends on its machines to maintain production timelines. Suddenly, a key machine breaks down. The maintenance team scrambles to fix it, causing delays and financial losses. The lack of predictive maintenance in such setups leads to high downtimes, affecting customer commitments and overall profitability. 

🔹Predictive and preventive maintenance solutions: AIoT-powered asset monitoring systems predict equipment failures before they occur. Platforms integrated with predictive analytics ensure timely maintenance and remote diagnostics, eliminating costly downtime. 

✅Impact: Higher equipment uptime, reduced maintenance costs, and better adherence to delivery schedules. 

3. Dependence on manual processes: Industries like construction and logistics often rely on manual workforce for critical tasks. This reliance makes operations vulnerable to human error and inefficiencies. In the face of labour shortages or disruptions, manual dependency can bring entire operations to a halt. 

🔹 Automation solutions and digital workforce optimisation: By leveraging AIoT-based automation, businesses can minimise manual intervention. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) ensures secure task allocation and efficiency. 

✅Impact: Improved accuracy, reduced operational delays, and resilience during workforce disruptions. 

4. Theft and pilferages: Warehouses with high-value equipment and assets like diesel generators, industrial coolers, and others are vulnerable to theft and pilferage without proper monitoring. Stolen high-value equipment or fuel increases costs, disrupts budgets, reduces profits, and strains stakeholder relationships. These issues also cause delays in critical operations reliant on steady supplies or power. Robust monitoring systems are vital to prevent losses and ensure smooth, efficient operations. 

🔹Asset monitoring and equipment tracking solutions: Real-time tracking and surveillance systems for warehouses and transit vehicles ensure transparency and prevent losses. Advanced geo-fencing technologies can alert managers to unauthorised movements. Asset monitoring solutions like smart diesel generators maintain a record of the device’s fuel consumption. This helps in understanding fuel thefts. 

✅Impact: Enhanced security, lower theft-related losses, and better trust among stakeholders. 

5. Challenge of effective waste and emission management: Many businesses struggle to track and manage waste effectively. Poor waste disposal practices lead to regulatory penalties and environmental harm. For instance, untreated industrial effluents discharged into water bodies not only violate compliance norms but also harm ecosystems, contradicting the goals of missions like the National Water Mission under the Jal Shakti Ministry. 

🔹 Waste and emissions tracking solutions: IoT solutions for waste monitoring allow businesses to measure and manage by-product outputs. Integrated dashboards can track emissions and align operations with sustainability goals outlined by the Perform, Achieve, Trade (PAT) scheme under India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). 

✅Impact: Better compliance, improved environmental impact, and support for missions like JJM and IGBC certifications. 

6. Transitioning from Industry 4.0 to Industry 5.0: Indian businesses face significant challenges in meeting industry standards and adopting modern practices. High initial investments and process inefficiencies create roadblocks, while managing multiple vendors often leads to hardware and software compatibility issues, driving up ownership costs. The limited availability of end-to-end service providers results in a lack of dedicated SLAs, incident management systems, and quick ticket resolutions. Additionally, incompatible data with government portals hampers proper reporting and compliance, further complicating the transition to efficient and sustainable operations. 

🔹 AI and IoT-based Industry 5.0 solutions: Businesses can adopt digital twin technology to create virtual replicas of assets, enabling real-time monitoring, simulation, and optimisation for better resource planning. IoT-based and AI-driven resource management solutions ensure efficient use of energy, materials, and workforce, reducing waste. Partnering with end-to-end service providers ensures seamless hardware and software compatibility, reducing ownership costs and streamlining vendor management. Predictive maintenance systems leverage IoT to monitor equipment health, preventing breakdowns and ensuring uptime. Integrated smart platforms centralise data, providing actionable insights to align operations with Industry 5.0’s focus on seamless human-machine collaboration and enhanced productivity. By leveraging such holistic solutions, businesses can overcome inefficiencies, lower costs, and align with the advanced capabilities of Industry 5.0. 

✅Impact: Reduced costs, granular equipment insights, guaranteed uptimes, enhanced sustainability to embrace Industry 5.0 and achieve operational excellence. 

A call to action: Paving the path to future-ready sustainability 

Sustainability in business is not just a compliance requirement; it is a strategic lever for long-term growth. By addressing operational inefficiencies, embracing innovative technologies, and aligning with government initiatives, Indian businesses can lead the way toward a sustainable future. 

Jio Things Limited is a trusted provider of end-to-end AIoT solutions, dedicated to helping businesses overcome challenges and achieve sustainability. Our solutions cater to diverse industries and domains, offering tailored support to meet unique operational needs. One key challenge businesses face is data compatibility with government portals, preventing seamless compliance. At JioThings, we ensure accurate, real-time data capture and direct uploads to government platforms as required, simplifying compliance and reporting. With full government certifications, we take pride in offering complete ownership and support to our customers and partners. With 1,800+ service centers and 10,000+ after-sales support staff, we prioritise customer satisfaction and operational excellence. The time to embrace sustainability is now. Let’s turn challenges into opportunities and build a greener, more resilient future together! 

We would love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to reach out to us at hello@jiothings.com.