Mr Akshansh Chaudhary Takes the Stage at ET Smart Factory Summit 2026

As artificial intelligence moves from experimentation to real-world manufacturing applications, the conversation around automation is evolving from what technology can do to where it can be responsibly applied.  

Mr. Akshansh Chaudhary at ET Smart Factory Summit 

Representing Venus Remedies at this important industry dialogue, Mr. Akshansh Chaudhary, Executive Director & Chief Technology Officer, Venus Remedies Limited, joined leading manufacturing and technology experts at the ET Smart Factory Summit 2026.  

He participated in the panel discussion “Agentic AI on the Shopfloor: From Copilots to Autonomous Operations,” which explored how manufacturers are progressing from AI systems that assist people towards systems capable of taking actions independently.  

This fifth edition of the summit brought together manufacturing leaders, technology experts, and industry innovators to discuss AI, automation, industrial IoT, robotics, and the future of smart manufacturing. 

Bringing the Pharma Perspective to the AI Conversation 

While autonomous operations are gaining attention across manufacturing, this transition comes with an important consideration: regulatory compliance.  

Pharmaceutical manufacturing processes cannot simply be changed overnight. Regulatory filings, approvals, established procedures, and quality requirements define how operations are carried out. This makes structured and responsible adoption particularly important when introducing AI on the shop floor.  

Mr Chaudhary highlighted how AI can first be used to make existing processes easier, faster, and more accessible. One example shared during the discussion was the potential use of voice-based AI in quality management. Shop-floor operators working in protective equipment may find it difficult to stop and manually complete documentation. A voice-enabled AI copilot could capture the required information and update relevant systems, bringing technology naturally into the existing workflow. 

Building the Right Foundation for AI 

The discussion also highlighted that successful AI adoption is not simply about introducing a new tool. For pharmaceutical manufacturing, AI needs to operate within clearly defined structures. 

Likewise, Venus Remedies is digitising regulatory guidelines, SOPs and shop-floor execution processes, creating defined boundaries within which AI can operate. As he noted during the discussion, openly deploying AI without this structure is not where the pharmaceutical industry currently stands. Further, he shared that automating certain quality-assurance documentation processes has already saved the equivalent of around 10 person-days of work.  

Moving Forward Together 

AI may become increasingly capable, but responsible adoption will depend on data, structure, validation and human oversight. The smart factory of the future is unlikely to be about machines operating entirely on their own. Instead, it will bring together human expertise, intelligent machines and AI agents, with people continuing to play a critical role in safety, quality and other high-impact decisions.  

For Venus Remedies, the conversation reflects an ongoing focus on using technology not simply to automate, but to make pharmaceutical operations more efficient, accessible and future-ready, while keeping quality and compliance at the centre.