Technology Absorption as a Strategic Option for Indian Manufacturing Competitiveness-A Special Reference to Intelligent Computer-Aided Design Technology

This research advocates the need for adopting intelligent design technology for enhancing manufacturing competitiveness of Indian firms. The word ¯computer-aided has been intentionally added so as to ensure that readers do not confuse this work with that of studies on ¯Intelligent Design 1. Instead, the focus here is on the use of improved design methods governed by design thinking to improve f irm-level competitiveness as related to cost, quality, flexibility and delivery. Technologies (including and not only limited to computer-aided technologies) support design activities and processes. Thus all possible computer-aided systems (CAx -systems) that support design are classif ied under design technology. These may be hard, soft or hybrid technologies. Design-for-X (DFX) methodologies and concurrent engineering (CE) practices are classif ied in literature as soft technologies. Such practices offer significant benefits to the firm when adopted right from the concept stages of product development. However, it is observed that concurrent engineering is generally not practiced in Indian f irms.