TCS & AWS: Are Supply Chains Ready for an Autonomous Future?

Global manufacturers are accelerating their transition towards intelligence-driven operations and enhanced autonomy in manufacturing processes, according to findings from the Future-Ready Manufacturing Study 2025, released today by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS).

The research offers a data-driven perspective on how manufacturers are reinforcing digital and data foundations to enable autonomy, decision intelligence and future-ready operations.

According to the study, while 75% anticipate AI becoming one of the top three contributors to operating margins by 2026, merely 21% indicate they possess full AI readiness, exposing foundational gaps in data, integration and system readiness across plants and supply chains.

The research encompassed 216 senior leaders from North America and Europe, spanning automotive, industrial machinery, aerospace and defence, process industries, chemicals and heavy equipment sectors.

Agentic AI driving autonomy

The study found that 74% expect AI agents to manage 11-50% of routine production decisions by 2028, while two-thirds (67%) report enhanced real-time supply chain visibility, strengthening resilience and responsiveness. Additionally, more than 30% forecast meaningful productivity gains from AI-led modernisation.

"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," explains Anupam Singhal, President of Manufacturing at TCS.

"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."

Factory-level intelligence advancement

At factory level, organisations are starting to integrate AI-driven quality and planning use cases, with nearly 40% reporting early measurable gains.

Momentum is building around next-generation autonomy, with agentic AI anticipated to assume a central role in how decisions flow across manufacturing environments.

Nearly three quarters of leaders expect AI agents to manage up to half of routine production decisions within three years, indicating a transition towards self-optimising workflows.

"Manufacturers today are facing intense pressure: from tight margins to volatile supply chains and workforce gaps," adds Ozgur Tohumcu, General Manager of Automotive and Manufacturing at AWS. "At AWS, we are transforming manufacturing through AI-powered autonomous operations, shifting from manual, reactive processes to intelligent, self-optimising systems that operate at scale.

"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 study makes it clear: the future of manufacturing is not just digital, it is autonomous – powered by AI that learns, evolves and operates continuously."

Comprehensive manufacturing transformation

TCS functions as a trusted partner for manufacturers across the value chain, supporting cross-sector OEMs, tier-N suppliers and global value-chain ecosystems.

Combining consulting, IT modernisation, engineering, digital manufacturing, cloud platforms and intelligence-led operations, TCS supports enterprises in becoming genuinely future-ready.

Through solutions including TCS Manufacturing AI for Agentic Futures, alongside deep domain capabilities in supply chain resiliency, predictive quality, intelligent factory operations and sustainable manufacturing, TCS enables organisations to become intelligent, resilient and perpetually adaptive.

Agentic AI facilitates autonomous analysis of supply chain data, including market trends, inventory and supplier performance, resulting in optimised purchasing, logistics and reduced delays or costs. According to the research, 67% of surveyed leaders report enhanced real-time visibility, strengthening resilience against disruptions.

At factory level, AI underpins predictive maintenance, quality control through real-time inspections and process optimisation. These developments require stronger data foundations, workforce upskilling and cloud integration for scalable autonomy.