There has been a quest for ease of doing things ever since the mankind is evolved. While it is very important in day-to-day life, it is even more important in the manufacturing activity which is a driver of economic growth. There has been a constant effort by the industry to make the process easier than the previous day. Hence it is continuous journey and not a destination. Industrial automation has passed through various revolutions such as mechanization, electrification, automation and today we are in the midst of digitalization. An important pre-requisite to achieve best results out of digitalization is automation. The human thoughts have to be communicated to the machine through HMI and the actions there on has to be commanded by PLC logics. In the present scenario of ever demanding industrial automation needs, HMIs and PLCs are equipped with new protocols, latest features and utilities. It is very important for the industrial community to know the real power of HMI and PLC in making the Industrial automation easy and successful.

Keeping this in view, Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers' Association is organizing a 3-day interactive programme on "PLC & HMI – Key drivers of Technology for Industrial Automation".

Programme will be beneficial for Automation Engineers, Maintenance Engineers, Engineers in Design, R&D and NPD activities. Programme is relevant to industry viz., Any Process Industry, Auto OEMs, Auto ancillaries, Pump Manufacturers, Aerospace ancillaries, Defence & Railway Establishment, General Engineering and Engineering Service providers. Faculties from educational institutes can also participate in the programme. Students who are interested in Industrial Automation can participate to get a hands-on feel.

This Program will be conducted by Dr. Prathima Holla.

Dr. Prathima Holla is a rare blend of Industry and academics. Graduate in Electronics and Communication Engineering from NMAMIT Nitte. Masters in Industrial Electronics from SJCE Mysore. She is MTech Gold Medallist from VTU. She worked in Industry majors like L& T Emsys, Intel, Microview Software Technologies for more than 14 years. She also spent about 8 years in academic institutions, teaching Electronics and Electrical subjects. She completed her Doctorate from VTU in 2021 with her research subjects around Industry 4.0. She has architected an Internet gateway to monitor machine shop activities which involves M2M communication, Data Analytics, Close looping of many manufacturing challenges using digital capabilities. Her research papers are published in international journals like Taylor and Francis, Springer etc. Passionate about teaching, skilling and knowledge transfer. At present she is Heading automation division in Distinct Productivity Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore.