Automation
is the Future
“One
machine can perform the work of a hundred human hands, but no machine can
perform the work of one human brain”.
In a country like India, where
the population is very high there is a huge amount of uneducated man power.
While the educated manpower gets to reach the top positions, the uneducated
manpower continues to remain as human machines. In fact, many of the MNC are
interested in capitalizing the potential of the uneducated manpower, available in
these third world countries.
When I visited Finland, on the
Rotary Group Study Exchange programme, I had the opportunity of visiting a
number of industries. What was very striking to me then was the level of
automation these companies have employed in the workplace. When I looked at the
production capacity of these units in relation to the manpower involved, I was
thrilled. Big industries have just 20 to 30 employees. The simple reason is
labourers are not available. For instance, in a paper making factory, I saw
robots at work. These manlike machines were carrying reels of paper from one
point to another point and stacking it in allotted spaces -as simple as the worker
in the Indian factory who carries loads of material, from one point to another point.
For a moment I
thought, what would be the fate of a country like India, if robots became so common
that there will not be a need for uneducated man power.
What I then realized
was that, as of today the economies of cost are not in favour of these
industries, but in the near future this may be the in thing. Let me explain.
Assume, that the cost of a robot is 1 crore rupees. Now to make a investment of
1 crore in a robot, means that on a conservative basis the interest cost would
be approx 12%, which means the cost of employing a robot will be Rs.12 lakhs
per year. The uneducated manpower in India is roughly earning about Rs.
300/- per day which means it is just approx Rs.1,00,000/- per year. Where is Rs.1,00,000/-
as compared to 12 lakhs. So, Robots are not a workable proposition.
Now assume that
these robots are made available to industries by mass production at Rs. 5 lakhs
per robot. Now the interest cost is Rs. 60,000/- per year. This would mean that
the robot would become a more dependable work force for industries. They won’t
get tired, they won’t form trade unions, they won’t fight for a increase in
pay, they won’t talk and waste time, they will give you the maximum production
you desire, there would be precision and therefore no quality problems, and
endless benefits.
Today, we talk about
labour shortage everywhere. All of a sudden we do not get labourers to perform
the menial work like we got before. We see every industrialist brooding about
this issue. In spite of the temptations, such as free food, free medical
expenses, free education for children, free van pick up and drop, production
linked incentive, in addition to the daily wages, there are no people to come
and work.
The employers who once
felt like kings are now feeling so helpless without this much sought after work
force. What we need to understand is we have to invest in automation in a big
way. Even a country like China,
which has a higher population than India, seems to have realized the
fact, much earlier. Their factories today have enormous production capacity, not
owing to its labour force, but owing to the high level of automation.
Let us wake up to
the fact that , in India the transition of the physical workers to knowledge
workers is on the rise and the availability of uneducated manpower is in a
steady decline and unless we bring in more automation at our workplace, it is
going to be difficult.
Start
looking at the bigger picture. Automation is the future.
D. Senthil Kannan,Managing Trustee, PALMS, Tuticorin.
Author of "Transformational Thoughts" - A Journey of learning
Email: senthilkannand@gmail.com
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