World Economic Forum 2025: CEAT factory in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur and Hindustan Unilever Limited in Assam’s Tinsukia have joined the cohort of WEF’s Global Lighthouse Network, a community of industry leaders pioneering the use of cutting-edge Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies in manufacturing. WEF added 18 new members to the network, out of which two are from India.
Both CEAT and HUL units were added for their step-change impact in performance through technology-enabled transformation.
The WEF report stated that CEAT deployed over 30 digital solutions, including operational research models for reducing turnaround time, advanced analytics for predictive control and machine learning-based design to support its global expansion plans which required three times more SKUs, faster order fulfilment, and new product launches at twice the speed. The solutions it deployed improved labour productivity by 25 per cent, reduced dispatch turnaround time by 54 per cent, accelerated product ramp-up by 30 per cent and cut Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 47 per cent, said WEF.
HUL, in order to adapt to the surge in ‘instant delivery e-commerce’ via shorter runs and wider product variety, implemented over 50 digital use cases improving end-to-end supply chain agility through machine learning-driven planning, AI-enabled changeovers and a green digital twin. The solutions helped reduce planning frozen periods from 14 days to one, enabling a threefold increase in unique SKUs and cutting the time for sustainable packaging trials by 84 per cent. HUL Tinsukia that operates in a remote region with limited resources supported the local community development by fostering digital skills through an Industrial Training Institute and a digital-Braille lab, strengthening its social impact alongside its digital transformation, WEF stated.
"Across our Global Lighthouse Network, digital technologies are revolutionizing production ecosystems. From AI-driven control towers to zero-code workflows, Lighthouses exemplify sustainable innovation, setting benchmarks millions can follow to drive transformational change across the entire ecosystem," said Kiva Allgood, Head of the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains, World Economic Forum.
The latest cohort of Lighthouses including companies in China, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Malaysia, UAE, UK, US and Germany, has observed an average 53 per cent boost in labour productivity, and 26 per cent reduction in conversion costs attributed to various digital solutions such as AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics.