Beyond Firewalls: Rethinking Risk in Modern Manufacturing
At “Manufacturing Reimagined: Build Better. Build Beyond.”, organised by SME Communities in collaboration with FIEO, a high-impact fireside chat brought sharp focus to an often underestimated dimension of industrial growth, risk resilience in an increasingly digital manufacturing environment.
Titled “Beyond Firewalls: OT Security, Fire Insurance & Building Resilient Manufacturing Enterprises”, the session featured Mr. Parag Deodhar, Managing Director – Global IT Audit Lead and Dr. Ravi Seshadri, Board Advisor and insurance industry veteran as moderator. Together, they unpacked how the definition of risk in manufacturing is rapidly evolving.
Mr. Deodhar highlighted a critical shift that many enterprises are yet to fully internalise. As factories become smarter, more automated and deeply interconnected, vulnerabilities are no longer confined to traditional IT systems. Operational Technology (OT), which directly controls machinery and production processes, is now emerging as a key risk surface. He emphasised that cyber resilience must move beyond firewalls and data centres to the shop floor, where disruptions can directly impact output, safety and revenue.
Complementing this, Dr. Seshadri brought a strategic perspective on risk transfer. He pointed out that while tools like cyber and fire insurance are increasingly being adopted, they are often treated as compliance requirements rather than strategic safeguards. For manufacturing enterprises to truly build resilience, insurance must be embedded into governance frameworks and aligned with business continuity planning, ensuring that risk mitigation is both proactive and structured.
The session delivered a powerful message: in today’s manufacturing landscape, resilience is no longer optional, it is a competitive advantage.
