Pune, : Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has launched the TCS Industrial Autonomy & Engineering Lab – Lights-Out Factory at its Sahyadri Park campus in Pune, marking what the company describes as India’s first lights-out factory lab.
The facility is designed to demonstrate how manufacturing operations can increasingly operate with minimal human intervention by bringing together artificial intelligence, digital twins, robotics, industrial automation and real-time operational intelligence.
A lights-out factory refers to a manufacturing environment where autonomous systems can operate production processes with limited human intervention. The new Pune facility features a fully robotic battery pack assembly line, providing a live environment for demonstrating and testing autonomous manufacturing concepts.
According to TCS, the lab will help manufacturers prototype, validate and scale AI-first production systems in a controlled environment before deploying them in real-world manufacturing operations. It is aimed at addressing the challenge of moving beyond individual Industry 4.0 and automation projects toward integrated, AI-enabled operating models.
Bringing AI, Robotics and Digital Twins Together
The TCS Industrial Autonomy & Engineering Lab combines several emerging technologies across engineering, manufacturing and factory operations.
Its capabilities include AI-enabled production optimisation, predictive maintenance, automated quality inspection and resilient factory operations. Digital twin and simulation environments will allow manufacturers to virtually model and test factory scenarios before implementing them in physical production environments.
The facility also brings together Vision AI, robotics and industrial automation to support machine perception, adaptive workflows and human-machine collaboration.
Another key capability is sensor-to-cloud industrial intelligence, connecting shop-floor signals with edge and cloud platforms to support real-time and context-aware decision-making.
The lab also focuses on software-defined engineering, enabling industrial systems to continuously evolve through software, data and AI-driven automation.
Supporting the Shift Towards Autonomous Manufacturing
The Pune lab is part of TCS’ broader Industrial Autonomy & Engineering capabilities and follows the launch of its Industrial Autonomy & Engineering Lab powered by NVIDIA in Bengaluru earlier in 2026.
TCS said the new facility will support use cases including predictive maintenance, automated quality inspection, real-time process optimisation, human-machine collaboration and autonomous factory operations.
The company’s Human + AI Service Autonomy Model is at the centre of the facility’s approach, demonstrating how manufacturing organisations can progress from digitally enabled operations toward increasingly autonomous production systems.
Sreenivasa Chakravarti, Global Head & Vice President of Industrial Autonomy and Engineering at TCS, said the facility is intended to help customers turn the aspiration of lights-out manufacturing into reality by providing a tangible environment to explore AI-first production systems.
Pune Strengthens Its Position in Advanced Manufacturing and AI
The launch adds another significant industrial technology capability to Pune’s rapidly evolving technology ecosystem. By establishing a live environment for experimenting with robotics, physical AI, digital twins and autonomous manufacturing, TCS is creating a platform where manufacturers can explore next-generation factory models.
The facility also reflects the growing convergence of AI, engineering, manufacturing and enterprise technology, with Pune emerging as an important location for innovation across these areas.
TCS said the lab will help manufacturers explore emerging technologies and operating models while reducing the risks associated with deploying new automation and AI capabilities directly into production environments.
With the launch of the Lights-Out Factory, TCS is further advancing its work in industrial autonomy, smart manufacturing, engineering transformation and AI-led enterprise modernisation from Pune.
