Ola to deploy ABB robotic solutions at mega-factory for e-scooters

India’s largest mobility platform Ola said on Thursday it has selected ABB as one of its key partners for robotics and automation solutions for its mega-factory in India that will roll out the much-anticipated Ola electric scooter.

Ola’s scooter mega-factory billed to be the world’s largest is expected to be ready and operational in the coming months. The company will utilise ABB’s automation solutions in its factory’s key manufacturing process lines, including its painting and welding lines, while the ABB robots will be deployed extensively for the battery and motor assembly lines. ABB robots will be digitally integrated into Ola’s AI-enabled mega-factory to optimise robot performance, productivity and product quality. The use of ABB’s robots and automation solutions will ensure remote digital connectivity and monitoring of the robots that will ride on Ola’s proprietary AI engine and tech stack.

“We are delighted to bring on board ABB, a global leader in robotics, machine automation and digital services, as a key supplier and partner for robotics and automation solutions that will be deployed at our scooter mega-factory,” said Bhavish Aggarwal, Chairman and Group CEO of Ola.

“We are bringing in global expertise and stitching up partnerships that will help us build out our factory in record speed and roll-out the first of our electric scooters in the coming months,” he said.

Sanjeev Sharma, Managing Director of ABB India and South Asia, said the company’s integrated automation package with digital connectivity riding on Ola’s AI platform will be instrumental in the roll-out of world-class scooters for India and the rest of the world.

“Increased automation and robotics to make shop-floors safer, more productive and of impeccable quality will fast-track India’s transition to one of the leading agile, self-reliant and high-tech manufacturing economies of the world,” he said in a statement.

Ola is building its mega-factory on Industry 4.0 principles and to be powered by its own proprietary AI engine and tech stack that will be deeply integrated into all its systems, continuously self-learning and optimising every aspect of the manufacturing process.

This will provide unprecedented control, automation and quality to the entire operations, especially with Ola’s implementation of cyber-physical and advanced Internet of Everything (IoE) systems.

With an initial annual capacity of 20 lakh units, Ola’s mega-factory will create 10,000 jobs and serve as the company’s global manufacturing hub for both India and international markets across Europe, United Kingdom, Latin America, Australia and New Zealand.

The mega-factory is also expected to be the country’s most automated with about 5,000 robots and automated guided vehicles in use once the factory is fully operational to its full capacity.