At a time when India is striving to move higher in the global manufacturing index – currently ranked sixth in Asia according to Dezan Shira & Associates’ Asia Manufacturing Index 2026- the conversation around competitiveness often revolves around scale, automation and digitalisation. Yet some of the most significant efficiency gains lie hidden in plain sight: in the science of friction, wear and lubrication.
In an increasingly competitive regional landscape – with countries like Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore advancing rapidly and China continuing to lead – the real differentiator for manufacturing excellence will not simply be producing more. It will be producing smarter. The question is no longer about scale alone, but whether we can do more with less – less energy, less material loss, less downtime.
This is precisely where tribology becomes critical.
In industrial operations, friction and wear are often treated as inevitable. Machinery components move against one another for hours every day, and gradual degradation is accepted as part of the lifecycle. However, what is frequently overlooked is how cumulative friction directly impacts energy consumption, reliability and equipment lifespan.
Across power, mobility, manufacturing and heavy engineering sectors, incremental inefficiencies can escalate into significant energy losses, unexpected downtime and premature equipment failure. What appears to be a minor technical variable can quietly become a structural drag on productivity and sustainability.
Going back to its origins in Greek- tribos (rubbing) and logos (study)– addresses these very interactions. As the science of friction, wear and lubrication, it sits at the intersection of materials science, mechanical engineering and surface physics. By understanding and optimising surface interactions, tribology enhances safety, reliability and service life – delivering tangible economic value.
From seals, gears, brakes and roller bearings, tribological principles prevent wear, surface deformation and stress concentration. Consider this- the carbon graphite seal used in rotary joints in the paper industry to avoid any steam leakage fails when adhesive wear reduces the mechanical contact zones. A smaller contact area increases stress, raising the probability of failure under the same load. Tribology engineering can help mitigate such risks through material design, lubrication strategy, and surface optimisation.
This knowledge underpins industries ranging from cement, oil and steel to aviation and marine engineering. It is no coincidence that the field is often referred to as “industrial tribology”.
As industries adopt nanotechnology, tribology faces new frontiers. In devices such as smart wearables, semiconductor components, precision instruments, friction wear and tear occur at micro and atomic scales. Dealing with these goods can be more challenging since the nanostructure strongly influences their material strength, scratch hardness, friction and wear.
Nano tribology addresses these interactions at the atomic level. It examines how lubricants, environmental media and surface structures behave under extreme precision conditions. As micro- and nano-electromechanical systems become more prevalent, tribology research must evolve to address high-friction and severe-wear challenges at increasingly smaller scales.
Whether at the macro or nano scale, proprietary surface engineering processes and lubrication technologies play a transformative role. Advanced materials, optimised mechanical design, and intelligent lubrication strategies significantly extend component life while improving performance.
Lubrication monitoring and condition-based maintenance have become essential. Metallurgical alloys used in gears and bearings are engineered for precise speeds and temperatures. When exposed to elevated operating conditions, unpredictable deformation may occur – reducing lubrication clearances and triggering heat build-up, vibration and eventual failure.
Addressing these phenomena requires not just better components, but deeper tribological insight embedded into design, operation, followed by maintenance.
In a fast-emerging economy like India, industrial competitiveness will increasingly hinge on efficiency rather than expansion alone. As infrastructure investments accelerate and manufacturing capacity expands, minimising frictional losses can unlock significant gains in energy savings, reliability and asset longevity.
As India aims to strengthen its position in global manufacturing value chains, foundational engineering sciences such as tribology will quietly shape the outcome. Improving productivity is no longer just about automation or digital transformation, but mastering the fundamentals that determine how machines behave under stress, over time and at scale.
Tribology may not always command headlines. But it is one of the most powerful, and often underexplored levers for industrial efficiency, sustainability and long-term competitiveness.
In a country like India with strong manufacturing momentum, a vast domestic market and deeper integration into global trade pathways, such advantages compound rapidly. Where design will no longer be an accessory to business but its core driver, enabling dynamic industrial ecosystems and advancing in lockstep.
Sanoj Somasundaran
Chief Technology Officer, SKF India (Industrial), and Director, Technology Development, ISEAM (India, SE Asia, Middle East)
Sanoj Somasundaran is the Chief Technology Officer of SKF India, where he leads the company’s technology, innovation and engineering agenda across India, Southeast Asia, Middle East (ISEAM) for customer-centric solutions & products
As the CTO of SKF India (Industrial), he crafts the technological roadmap for the industrial entity, aligning local innovation priorities with SKF Group’s global technological vision, and advancing clean, intelligent solutions for industry and the planet.
With over 28+ years of experience, he brings deep expertise across product development, connected technologies, IoT, electronics, and advanced engineering for industrial and automotive applications. He has successfully built and scaled global technical centres, managed large multidisciplinary engineering teams, led multiple functions and driven innovation across hardware, software, electronics, and digital platforms.
Prior to SKF, Sanoj held senior leadership roles at Bosch and Valeo, where he led end-to-end engineering operations, P&L responsibilities, product development, Cost projects and global technology centre strategy, overseeing teams of over 1,500 engineers.
Sanoj heads SKF’s Global Technical Centre in Bengaluru, a key node in the company’s global R&D network, where teams develop Products for ISEAM as well as for global markets in the areas of bearings, predictive maintenance, connected technologies, and next-gen materials, shaping future-ready industrial solutions from India.
Known for driving Innovation, change management and strong execution focus, Sanoj champions clean, intelligent technologies that translate innovation into sustainable performance- strengthening customer outcomes and shaping SKF’s future-ready industrial leadership.
