The Taloja Smart Factory Project is Deepak Fertilisers & Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd.’s (DFPCL) digital transformation initiative aimed at converting its Taloja facility into a fully automated, Industry-4.0-enabled plant. Through advanced process control, real-time monitoring, predictive analytics and AI/ML-driven optimization, the project seeks to enhance operational efficiency, reduce downtime, improve asset performance, and enable smarter, more sustainable fertilizer production.
Project Summary — DFPCL Smart Factory (Taloja)
| Project Name | DFPCL Smart Factory Digitalisation Program |
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| Company | Deepak Fertilisers & Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd (DFPCL) |
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| Location / Site | Primarily Taloja complex, Maharashtra (with scope to extend to other DFPCL plants) |
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| Project Type | Smart Factory / Industry 4.0 digitalisation and automation of existing plants |
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| Core Scope | Real-time monitoring, diagnostics, first-principles modelling, AI/ML analytics, advanced process control (APC), predictive maintenance and workflow automation. |
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| Strategic Objective | Improve energy efficiency, asset utilisation, plant reliability, safety and overall operational excellence. |
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| Project Status (2025) | Smart Factory program under phased implementation — digital solutions with KBR in progress; earlier Honeywell initiatives form part of roadmap. |
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Digital Partner / Automation Contractors
| Current Digital Solutions Partner | KBR — responsible for Smart Factory digital platform, real-time monitoring, AI/ML, APC & process optimisation. |
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| Earlier Automation Partner | Honeywell Automation India Ltd (HAIL) — engaged in 2021 for early Smart Factory work at Taloja. |
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| Scope of Digital/Automation Work | Integration of plant data, historians, digital twins, APC, advanced analytics dashboards, operator decision support and predictive maintenance workflows. |
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| Target Outcome | Move DFPCL plants towards “top quartile” performance for energy use, reliability, throughput and safety. |
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Business Opportunities — What Vendors Should Watch
| Digital & Software Workstreams | Advanced analytics, AI/ML model development, dashboards, custom applications, integration with existing DCS/PLC systems and plant historians. |
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| Automation & Control Scope | APC configuration, control strategy upgrades, safety system interfaces, control room modernisation, process optimisation projects. |
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| Hardware / IIoT Requirements | Industrial gateways, sensors, field instruments, communication modules, servers, networking, cyber-security infrastructure and edge devices. |
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| Services & Consulting | Process consulting, first-principles modelling, reliability engineering, condition monitoring, training & change-management support for operators and engineers. |
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| Job / Skills Opportunities | Roles in APC engineering, data science, OT–IT integration, digital reliability, field instrumentation, automation commissioning, and support services. |
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| Vendor Scope | Sub-contracting under primary digital partners, supplying OT/IT equipment, providing implementation services, commissioning, training and long-term support. |
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Market & Strategic Impact
- Improves DFPCL’s cost competitiveness in fertilizers, TAN and chemical markets through better energy and asset efficiency.
- Strengthens safety, reliability and uptime of existing plants without building entirely new capacity.
- Positions DFPCL as a digitally advanced, Industry 4.0 ready fertilizer & chemical producer.
- Supports sustainability targets via lower specific energy consumption and improved resource utilisation.
Vendor / Procurement Contact
Interested digital, automation and IIoT vendors should track DFPCL’s official website and tender announcements, as well as partner updates from KBR and Honeywell.
Formal RFQs are typically routed via corporate procurement and project-specific tenders.
Project Progress Updates (Select Highlights)
| Date / Period | Update |
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| June 2021 | DFPCL selected Honeywell Automation India Ltd to start Smart Factory work at Taloja — marking the initial digitalisation phase. |
| 4 Oct 2023 | DFPCL awarded KBR the Smart Factory digital solutions contract — covering real-time monitoring, diagnostics, AI/ML, APC and optimisation. |
| 2024–2025 | Industry coverage indicates Smart Factory/ digitalisation implementation is underway with focus on energy savings, performance uplift and asset optimisation. |
| Status (Last Verified) | Ongoing digitalisation program; detailed go-live dates, total capex and plant-wise rollout plan not publicly disclosed. |
Last Updated: Nov 2025
