Smart Maintenance in Action: Inside the 8th Pro MFG Plant Maintenance & Asset Management Summit 2026

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"Smart maintenance is not only about smarter machines. It is about smarter decisions, smarter processes and smarter people."

August 2026 : Manufacturing plants across India are undergoing a fundamental shift. Breakdowns no longer just pause production - they disrupt integrated supply chains, erode bottom lines, and hamper sustainability targets. Addressing this shift, the 8th Edition of the Pro MFG Plant Maintenance & Asset Management Summit 2026, presented by Mobil and powered by Pro MFG Media, gathered over 100 industry leaders, plant heads, and reliability engineers in Vadodara from across various manufacturing sectors. Supported by academic institute partners AMTDC IIT Madras and IITI Drishti - CPS Foundation (IIT Indore), the summit served as a premier platform for evaluating shopfloor strategies.

The day began with an opening address by Manish Kulkarni, Co-Founder & Director of Pro MFG Media, followed by an industry presentation by Sarita Patel, Area Sales Manager at ExxonMobil Lubricants. Patel highlighted how proactive lubrication and asset health management serve as core foundations for shopfloor energy efficiency and operational resilience.

Pro MFG Plant Maintenance & Asset Management Summit 2026 was anchored by Bianca Chettiar.

Sarita Patel, Area Sales Manager - ExxonMobil Lubricants

Panel 1: Smart Maintenance - Leveraging Digital Tools for Reliable Plant Operations

Moderated by Manish Kulkarni (Pro MFG Media), this opening session examined how industrial facilities are transitioning from reactive run-to-failure routines toward predictive maintenance. Panelists Dayanand More (Alembic Pharmaceuticals), Mahesh Mandwarya (Jubilant Ingrevia), Sanjiv Prasad (Reliance Industries Limited), Kavishwar Kalambe (Crystal Crop Protection Limited), Imtiaz Ahmed (Mobil), and Manish Kothari (Rhino Machines) addressed key adoption barriers. They demonstrated how sensor analytics and real-time data deliver rapid ROI while keeping technology investments aligned with core business goals.

Panel 2: Achieving Maximum - Driving Productivity & Cost Efficiency Across Assets

Focusing on maximizing output from existing infrastructure, the second panel was moderated by Pankaj Sharma (ISSPL Limited). Industry leaders Arun C. Rajyaguru (Deepak Phenolics), Arvind Tiwari (Hitachi Energy), Raman Patel (ADAMA India), and Dr. Manik Yerawar Aarti Industries Ltd.) shared operational strategies. Discussions centered on Lean manufacturing practices, energy management, and optimizing workforce utilization to cut costs without compromising asset integrity.

Adding an energetic layer of engagement, the day featured the Manufacturing Science Quiz, testing delegates on practical reliability principles and shopfloor problem-solving.

Panel 3: Emerging Technologies - Transforming the Manufacturing Facility

The final panel explored the digital architectures shaping tomorrow’s smart factories, moderated by Manish Kulkarni. Experts Paresh Panchal (Silox India), Karthik Krishna Prabhakaran (UPL Limited), Prasad John Thekkemathiote (Gulbrandsen Technologies), Ravi Mittal (JSW MG Motor India), and Dr. Urvesh Vala (L&T Energy - Hydrocarbon Onshore) unpacked AI, Industrial IoT, and Digital Twins. They stressed that advanced tech delivers real value only when matched with strong change management and upskilled plant personnel.

The summit also hosted the interactive Pro MFG Collab Corner, where peer-to-peer discussions encouraged attendees to exchange cross-industry insights and explore operational partnerships.

The summit concluded with an inspiring vote of thanks, bringing an action-packed day of knowledge-sharing and networking to a close. As plant operations continue to evolve in an increasingly digital landscape, the core takeaways from Vadodara reaffirmed that successful operational excellence relies as much on human ingenuity as it does on technological innovation.

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