PMAM Coimbatore 2026: Driving the Next Chapter in Smart Maintenance

#PMAM2026 #SmartMaintenance #SmartManufacturing #PlantReliability #DigitalTransformation #OperationalExcellence #IndustryLeadership #ManufacturingInnovation #FutureofManufacturing

May 2026 : Manufacturing excellence is no longer measured just by horsepower, but by the intelligence of a factory's connected data ecosystem. To help industrial leaders successfully navigate this massive structural shift, Pro MFG Media hosted the 7th Edition of the Pro MFG Plant Maintenance & Asset Management (PMAM) Summit 2026 in Coimbatore.

The summit was a full-day deep dive into the strategies, technologies, and mindsets shaping the future of Plant Maintenance and Asset Management. The gathering drew over 100 participants from across sectors - automotive, manufacturing, aerospace, FMCG, foundry, and more - making it one of Coimbatore's most significant industrial knowledge events of the year. PMAM was backed by the Presenting Partner - Mobil, Gold Partner - ImageGrafix, and knowledge collaborators - IITI Drishti CPS Foundation and AMTDC IIT Madras.

The sessions kicked off with a presentation by Mr. Ravikularaman R, National Manager - Manufacturing at Mobil. Delving into Mobil's extensive industrial legacy, he outlined how cutting-edge lubrication products and diagnostic services act as the primary defense against unexpected friction and machinery degradation on the shop floor.

Ravikularaman R, National Manager, Manufacturing - ExxonMobil

The summit's first panel discussion on the topic - Smart Maintenance - Leveraging Digital Tools for Reliable Plant Operations was moderated by Mr. Manish Kulkarni, Co-founder & Director, Pro MFG Media. The conversation revolved around how digital tools are transforming traditional maintenance models into intelligent, data-driven reliability systems.

The panelists include: Deepak Pohekar, Plant Head & Executive Director - ZF Wind Power, A.S. Shivakumaran, Director - Foundry, KOSO India, Muthu Sekkar PL, CEO & Additional Director - Revathi Equipment India Ltd., Vinay Bhatt, Director - Flowserve, Suresh Mishra, Plant Head, Aerospace Composite Business - LMW Advanced Technology Centre

Panel Discussion 1

Key themes that emerged included the shift from reactive to predictive maintenance, how real-time shopfloor data can dramatically improve equipment uptime, and the practical barriers manufacturers face when adopting smart maintenance systems. The panelists were candid about the challenges - from workforce readiness to technology integration costs - and equally emphatic about the long-term dividends of getting it right.

Moving beyond just building better machines to building smarter minds, Mr. Sameer Patkar, Practice Head - EAM, AIM & Advanced Analytics at ImageGrafix, delivered a compelling presentation on “Augmenting Human Intellect While Maintaining Asset Uptime: The Industry 5.0 Evolution.” Patkar emphasized that true digital transformation isn’t about replacing the human element, but empowering technicians with global Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) frameworks and advanced analytics to completely eradicate catastrophic asset failure.

Sameer Patkar, Practice Head - EAM, AIM & Advanced Analytics - ImageGrafix

The post-break energy in the room was palpable as the second panel took the stage on the topic- Achieving Maximum - Driving Productivity & Cost Efficiency Across Assets. Moderated once again by Mr. Manish Kulkarni, this session tackled one of the most persistent challenges in manufacturing: how do you squeeze every unit of value from your assets without sacrificing reliability?

The panel featured Hariharan S, GM - Supply Chain - Lauritz Knudsen Electrical & Automation, M. Vijayakumar, Head - Corporate Manufacturing Excellence & Manufacturing Engineering - Roots Group of Companies, Pandiyan Dharmaraj, Plant Manager - EATON Aerospace, Manoharan KP, Managing Director - Gem Equipments Pvt Ltd., Selvakumar Aruchamy, Engineering Lead - Bradken, Sampath Kumar A, Executive Director - LGB Forge Limited, Umakant Singh, Head of Operations - Amirthaa Dairy Pvt Ltd.

Panel Discussion 2

The conversation spanned lean manufacturing practices, energy efficiency as a lever for cost reduction, workforce productivity, and multi-plant asset utilization. What stood out was the sheer diversity of sectors represented - from aerospace and forge to dairy processing - each offering a distinct lens on the shared challenge of driving asset performance.

The room's competitive spirit came alive during the Smart Manufacturing Quiz - a lively, interactive segment that tested the audience on the day's learnings and core manufacturing concepts. The quiz drew enthusiastic participation and plenty of laughter, proving that knowledge and fun are not mutually exclusive on the shopfloor.

The winners of the quiz are: 1st place - Surendh S, V-Guard Industries Limited, 2nd place - Ganesh VL, Bull Machines Pvt Ltd., 3rd place - Balaji Kannan, TTK Prestige Ltd.

Pro MFG Media’s Smart Manufacturing Quiz 2026

The third Panel Discussion on the topic - Emerging Technologies - Transforming the Manufacturing Facility gears toward tomorrow’s capabilities, moderated by Mr. Ravi Ramarao, Executive Partner - Mudita Strat-Aegis Consultants. This panel explored how emerging technologies are not just changing manufacturing - they're redefining it.

The panelists include: Dr. O. A. Balasubramaniam, Director - IT, Roots Group of Companies, Balaji Kannan, Senior DGM & Factory Head - TTK Prestige Ltd.. Gopal Krishan Sharma, Practice Head - IoT & Advanced Analytics - ImageGrafix.

Panel Discussion 3

The discussion was forward-looking and unfiltered. From AI-driven maintenance workflows and Industrial IoT deployments to the lessons learned from early technology adoption, the panel offered a grounded yet inspiring view of the smart factory of tomorrow. A central theme emerged: technology alone is not the answer - it is the combination of the right tools, the right people, and a culture of continuous learning that will define the factories of the future.

Pro MFG Collab Corner

The event concluded with the signature Pro MFG Collab Corner, providing an exclusive peer-to-peer ideation block for all the participants to collaboratively discuss the maintenance and operational challenges and solutions to overcome them.

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