The Environmental Sustainability Practices of Electronics Contract Manufacturing Companies in India
At 4% of total emissions, the electronics manufacturing industry pumps thousands of tons of carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. For most of its history, the focus of industry leaders has remained on optimising efficiency, fostering innovation, and satisfying customers.
But this scenario is fast changing. Encouragement from government regulatory bodies and international campaigns indicates that environmental sustainability has become a major goal of the industry.
Equally important has been the evolving preferences of consumers, the overwhelming majority of whom now prefer to buy from brands that prioritise sustainability. The average urban family of 2023 is likely to be willing to pay a premium and perhaps even miss out on a few features if it means they can reduce their environmental impact.
In this blog, we will explore how sustainability practices have come to the forefront and the steps electronics contract manufacturing companies are taking.
Electronics Contract Manufacturing Companies in India: Working Towards Sustainability
Sustainability has proved far from a fleeting trend, and electronics contract manufacturing companies in India have not fallen behind.
Here are a few ways in which they have moved towards a greener, cleaner future:
1. Adoption of Smart Technologies
A major technique electronics contract manufacturing companies in India adopt is digitising the manufacturing process. The use of artificial intelligence in various forms and the Internet of Things is key to this transformation.
AI-enabled sensors, for instance, have taken over many of the tasks that human supervisors had to previously carry out manually, from monitoring the functioning of all equipment and raising the alarm in case of failures to transmitting vital information from one machine to another.
This transformation has had several massive benefits for the cause of sustainability:
Detect malfunctions quickly
Sensor technology detects equipment malfunctions or failures far earlier than a human. This allows the problem to be addressed before it can have significant impacts, such as the wastage of energy and other resources.
Prevents accidental leakage of toxic chemicals
Also, it ensures that toxic or dangerous waste products and components are not accidentally released into the environment. This is the greatest achievement of artificial intelligence in electronics contract manufacturing companies in India, as some of the greatest environmental disasters, such as the Bhopal gas leak, have resulted from such equipment breakdown.
Not only has the probability of such calamities reoccurring been reduced, but this has also been done without endangering workers’ lives.
Higher data processing capabilities
AI can collect and process quantities of data that are far too massive and complex for human employees. This means that it can quickly detect inefficiencies in the manufacturing process and work to address them.
For instance, it can identify superfluous steps in the manufacturing process and formulate strategies for eliminating or simplifying them.
Aside from providing assistance in immediate and short-term decision-making, data collected and sorted through by sensor technology can be vital in creating a better long-term business strategy.
2. Localising Production
The ‘Make in India’ initiative aims to make our country an independent and advanced manufacturing powerhouse, including electronics contract manufacturing companies in India, bolstering our economy while reducing our reliance on other nations.
But it has another, lesser explored, aspect. Food sustainability movements like ‘Eat Local, Think Global’ has promoted the consumption of locally-produced goods and avoided the unchecked exploitation of foreign and domestic resources required to produce and ship them.
Supply chain disruptions and emphasis on reshoring manufacturing
The same logic applies to electronics manufacturing, which has long been concentrated in East and Southeast Asia. In particular, the pandemic-induced supply chain disruptions of the last few years have hastened the localisation of electronics manufacturing.
Though large international conglomerates have been slower to move their massive operations across oceans, Indian brands have been quick on the uptake.
For example, Indian ODM manufacturer Oakter has begun to produce items essential to Indian consumers, like Paytm Soundboxes, which were earlier made only in China.
3. Focus on sustainable production linked with clean energy
Additionally, new electronics contract manufacturing companies in India and other facilities can be set up with environmental concerns at the forefront.
State-of-the-art, zero-waste equipment is purchased, and employees are trained to execute processes, keeping in mind that production must sustainably occur.
Moreover, the abundant clean energy sources readily available can be easily accessed and harnessed into manufacturing processes. This is a practice which has found great success in India.
Supporting homegrown, pro-sustainability brands is the need of the hour
Electronics contract manufacturing companies in India have made huge strides towards a more sustainable future in the last few years, often at a high cost. Consumers should vote with their wallets and choose pro-sustainability brands over their competitors.
Supporting homegrown brands that put the environment first sends a message to all electronics manufacturers, local or international: sustainability is the future.
Oakter takes ESG as a core value. As an advanced ODM company shipping 500k+ products every month, we offer sustainable and affordable manufacturing solutions to solve your production worries.
Talk to us to learn more