Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS), has revealed that global manufacturers are accelerating toward intelligence-driven operations and higher levels of autonomy. 

 

The findings come from the Future-Ready Manufacturing Study 2025, which provides a data-backed look at how companies are building digital and data foundations to support AI, decision intelligence, and future-ready operations.

 

The study surveyed 216 senior leaders across North America and Europe, spanning industries including automotive, aerospace, industrial machinery, chemicals, and heavy equipment. While 75% of manufacturers expect AI to be among the top three contributors to operating margins by 2026, only 21% say they are fully AI-ready, exposing critical gaps in data, integration, and system readiness.

 

Key highlights from the study include: 75% of manufacturers expect AI to be a top three margin driver by 2026; Only 21% are fully AI-ready, revealing significant integration and data challenges; Agentic AI is emerging as a priority, accelerating autonomous decision-making; 74% expect AI agents to manage 11–50% of routine production decisions by 2028; 67% report improved real-time supply-chain visibility, boosting resilience; and 30%+ anticipate meaningful productivity gains from AI-led modernization

 

“Manufacturing is an industry defined by precision, reliability, and the relentless pursuit of performance. Today, that strength of foundation becomes multifold with AI in orchestrating decisions—delivering transformational business outcomes through greater predictability, stability, and control. At TCS, we see this as a defining opportunity to help manufacturers build resilient, adaptive, and future-ready enterprise ecosystems that can thrive in an era of intelligent autonomy,” said Anupam Singhal, President - Manufacturing, TCS.

 

The study also reveals a clear shift toward real-time decision intelligence and operational transparency. Factories are embedding AI-driven quality and planning applications, with nearly 40% reporting early measurable gains. Momentum is building around next-generation autonomy, as nearly three-quarters of manufacturing leaders expect AI agents to manage up to half of routine production decisions within three years.

 

“Manufacturers today are facing unprecedented pressure — from tight margins to volatile supply chains and workforce gaps. At AWS, we are revolutionizing manufacturing through AI-powered autonomous operations, shifting from manual, reactive processes to intelligent, self-optimizing systems that operate at scale," said Ozgur Tohumcu, General Manager - Automotive and Manufacturing, AWS.

 

"By embedding artificial intelligence into every layer of the operation and leveraging cloud-native architecture, manufacturers can move beyond simple automation to true autonomous decision-making — where systems predict, adapt, and act independently with minimal human intervention.

 

"This enables not just faster response times, but fundamentally transforms operations with AI-driven predictability, resilience, and agility. This study makes it clear: the future of manufacturing is not just digital, it is autonomous — powered by AI that learns, evolves, and operates continuously."