New Delhi: The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) on Thursday hosted the second edition of its Conference on Automation, Digitalisation & Technology Integration in Mining & Metals, where industry leaders highlighted the potential of digital tools to transform the sector.
The event also marked the release of a FICCI-Crisil report, which estimates that Indian mining and metals companies could achieve efficiency gains of 10–15 per cent through digitalisation and automation. Executives said the productivity improvements would be on par with the benefits once sought through import safeguard duties, with returns visible within two years.
Nagendra Nath Sinha, former Steel Secretary, described digital transformation as “a critical competitive lever rather than an optional upgrade.”
Sanjay Singh of Jindal Steel projected that India’s steel demand will nearly double by 2030, calling for the adoption of robotics and artificial intelligence to lower emissions until green hydrogen technology matures. Arun Misra, CEO of Hindustan Zinc, stressed that digitalisation must deliver actionable insights rather than “just dashboards,” while Tata Steel’s Pankaj Satija underlined the importance of linking technology adoption with workforce training and environmental monitoring.
The conference showcased emerging applications such as predictive drilling, fatigue monitoring systems, and slope stability radar. Speakers agreed that leadership commitment and employee upskilling will be essential to ensure technology is seen as an enabler. The report concluded that India’s mining and metals sector stands at a critical juncture, where digital innovation could unlock both productivity gains and environmental improvements.