Representative End User Clients
Representative Automation Clients
Representative Software Clients
OPC Foundation participated as a Platinum Sponsor at ARC Advisory Group’s 23rd India Forum titled Winning in the Industrial AI Era on July 10-11, 2025. At the Forum, Samrat Bhattacharjee, Head of Sustainable Automation Research at Siemens India OPC, delivered a convincing presentation to over 300 delegates, on how OPC UA (Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture) is building the foundation for industrial interoperability in the digital era. In the age of Industry 4.0, interoperability is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. As manufacturing enterprises accelerate their digital transformation journeys, the ability to seamlessly connect machines, systems, and data across platforms becomes critical. At the forefront of this evolution is OPC UA, a standard that’s redefining how industrial automation integrates with cloud, AI, and data ecosystems. Samrat’s presentation is available on YouTube and here too:
From Shop Floor to Cloud: The Expanding Role of OPC UA
Traditionally known for its robust presence in OT (Operational Technology) environments, OPC UA is now making significant strides into IT domains. With standards like OPC UA over MQTT and OPC UA over REST, manufacturers can now move data seamlessly from edge devices to cloud platforms without altering their information models. This enables:
Cloud-native digital twins to communicate effectively.
AI agents to access structured, interoperable data.
Secure, scalable data transport across TCP, UDP, MQTT, and even 5G.
The built-in security features of OPC UA—covering certificate management, onboarding, and encrypted transport—make it a trusted choice for industrial data exchange.
Bridging the Gap: OPC UA Adoption Among Indian SMEs
Despite its global adoption, OPC UA faces perception challenges in India’s SME sector, which contributes nearly 45 percent of the country’s manufacturing output. Common misconceptions include:
OPC UA is only for large enterprises.
It’s too complex or expensive to implement.
It’s limited to client-server architecture.
Samrat debunked these myths, emphasizing that OPC UA is free to use, scalable to any use case, and supported by a wide range of open-source and commercial modeling tools. Whether you're modeling a simple PLC or a full-scale digital twin, OPC UA adapts to your needs.
OPC UA and AI: Structuring Data for Intelligent Automation
One of the most exciting developments is the integration of OPC UA with AI. The OPC UA for AI working group is exploring how OPC UA can present data in formats that AI models can readily consume. This is crucial for:
Training AI agents with structured, domain-specific data.
Reducing hallucinations in AI outputs by ensuring high-quality input.
Enabling voice-based machine interactions through next-gen UIs.
With over 150+ Companion Specifications, OPC UA provides standardized documentation for a wide array of industrial components—from CNC machines to pharmaceutical equipment—making it easier for AI systems to understand and interact with physical assets.
The OPC Cloud Initiative: Standardizing Data Sharing Across Ecosystems
The OPC Foundation Cloud Initiative is another milestone, aiming to create a cloud reference architecture that harmonizes data sharing across industries. Supported by major cloud providers and industrial leaders like L’Oréal, this initiative is laying the groundwork for:
Industrial metaverse applications
AI-driven analytics
Cross-platform digital twin integration
By replicating best practices from field-level communication, the initiative fosters a pre-competitive environment where manufacturers can collaborate and innovate without compromising proprietary data.
Why OPC UA Matters for Your Digital Transformation
OPC UA is more than a protocol—it’s a strategic enabler of smart manufacturing. Whether you're an SME exploring automation or a global enterprise scaling AI across operations, OPC UA offers the interoperability, security, and scalability needed to thrive in the Industry 4.0 landscape.
Samrat’s Views at the Panel Discussion on Industrial AI, Data Fabric, and Metaverse
What's the simplest way to start building IoT use cases with OPC UA?
The simplest way to get started is by using OPC UA itself. While OPC UA may seem complex and overwhelming at first, there's good news for beginners: the OPC UA Foundation provides starter kits specifically designed for IoT applications.
How can I access these starter kits and what do they offer?
You can easily download the starter kits from the OPC UA Foundation website. The kits come with detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to implement your IoT use case using OPC UA. This makes the process much more approachable, even for those new to the technology.
Have you or your team used these starter kits before?
Yes, both personally and within my team, we've used the OPC UA starter kits. They've proven to be a valuable resource in helping us get up and running quickly and efficiently with our IoT projects.