TCS & AWS: Are Supply Chains Ready For An Autonomous Future?

A new study from Tata Consultancy Services and Amazon Web Services reveals a wide gap between ambition and reality, as manufacturers seek to grow margins with AI while lacking the foundational readiness for true autonomy.

Global manufacturers are speeding up their move towards intelligence-driven operations and greater autonomy in their processes, according to the Future-Ready Manufacturing Study 2025.

The research, released by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), offers a data-led view on how the industry is building its digital and data foundations to support autonomous systems and decision intelligence.

The study reveals that while 75% of manufacturers anticipate AI will be one of their top three contributors to operating margins by 2026, only 21% report being fully prepared for its adoption.

This exposes foundational gaps in data integration and system readiness across manufacturing plants and their associated supply chains.

The research gathered insights from 216 senior leaders in North America and Europe, covering sectors such as automotive, industrial machinery, aerospace, chemicals and heavy equipment.

Foundational gaps in AI readiness

A key finding from the research is the disconnect between strategic goals and operational preparedness. The widespread belief in AI's potential for profit is clear, yet the small number of businesses that feel ready for AI could suggest a major challenge for the industry.

This readiness gap points towards underlying issues in data management, system integration and the need for modernised infrastructure to support advanced AI applications. The study found that momentum is building around next-generation autonomy, with agentic AI expected to take a central role in how decisions are made across manufacturing environments.

According to the research, 74% of leaders expect AI agents to manage between 11-50% of routine production decisions by 2028. Furthermore, more than 30% forecast meaningful productivity gains stemming from AI-led modernisation programmes.

"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.

He adds: "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."

Advancing factory-level intelligence

At the factory level, manufacturers are beginning to integrate AI-driven use cases for quality control and planning, with almost 40% reporting early, measurable benefits. This indicates a clear trend towards leveraging AI for tangible operational improvements.

The expectation that AI agents will manage up to half of all routine production decisions within 3 years signals a major step towards self-optimising workflows and processes.

"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."

Ozgur says that by embedding artificial intelligence into every layer of the operation and using cloud-native architecture, manufacturers can progress from simple automation to true autonomous decision-making.

This allows systems to "predict, adapt and act independently with minimal human intervention", he explains.

Ozgur adds: "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

Agentic AI facilitates the autonomous analysis of supply chain data, including market trends, inventory levels and supplier performance. This results in optimised purchasing, improved logistics and a reduction in delays or excess costs.

According to the research, 67% of surveyed leaders report enhanced real-time visibility across their supply chain, which strengthens resilience against potential disruptions. At the factory level, AI also underpins predictive maintenance and quality control through real-time inspections and process optimisation.

For these advancements to be successful, they require stronger data foundations, workforce upskilling and effective cloud integration to enable scalable autonomy. TCS functions as a partner for manufacturers across the value chain, providing support to OEMs, tier-N suppliers and global value-chain ecosystems.

Through its solutions, including TCS Manufacturing AI for Agentic Futures, and its domain capabilities in supply chain resiliency, predictive quality and intelligent factory operations, TCS helps manufacturers to become more intelligent, resilient and adaptive.