31 - 07 - 2026

Emerson NI Unveils AI-First Vision for Engineering, Deepens India Bet with L&T Tech Services Partnership

At NI Days India 2026, the company outlines its roadmap for AI-powered test and measurement, highlights Bengaluru’s growing role in global R&D, and reinforces human expertise as the cornerstone of next-generation engineering

Emerson’s test-and-measurement business, formerly National Instruments (NI), used NI Days India 2026 to present a vision for the future of engineering, combining artificial intelligence, software-defined test systems, modular instrumentation, and India’s expanding role in global research and product development. During an executive media roundtable in Bengaluru, the company outlined its roadmap for AI-powered engineering while highlighting deeper investments in India’s engineering ecosystem and an expanded strategic collaboration with L&T Technology Services (LTTS).

The discussion featured Luke Schrier, Vice President of Global Sales, Marketing and Services for Emerson’s Test & Measurement business, Baskar Ceri, Managing Director of NI India, Priyachandar P, Regional Growth Head for NI India, and Ashish Khushu, Chief Technology Officer of L&T Technology Services. Opening the discussion, Schrier reflected on two major milestones that frame the company’s next phase of innovation.

“This year marks Emerson’s 50th anniversary and LabVIEW’s 40th anniversary. Over the decades we’ve built an open platform that enables engineers to solve some of the world’s most complex problems, and now we’re bringing AI into that platform in a way that enhances—not replaces—the engineer,” Schrier said.

He noted that Emerson’s test-and-measurement business today supports nearly 35,000 customers worldwide, with more than 300,000 PXI systems and over four million data-acquisition devices deployed globally. According to Schrier, the company’s software portfolio—including LabVIEW, TestStand and VeriStand—combined with modular hardware platforms such as PXI, CompactRIO and CompactDAQ, continues to form the foundation of modern automated testing across industries ranging from aerospace and semiconductor manufacturing to automotive and electronics.

Artificial intelligence emerged as the central theme of the discussion, with Schrier unveiling the latest progress of Nigel AI, NI’s AI-powered engineering assistant. He explained that the current version functions as an engineering advisor built upon large language models while incorporating NI’s five decades of proprietary engineering expertise.

“Nigel AI helps engineers select products, understand measurement requirements, interpret LabVIEW code and navigate complex engineering workflows by combining general AI capabilities with 50 years of NI domain knowledge,” he said. Schrier also introduced new AI-assisted capabilities in the latest LabVIEW+ Suite, including automatic code generation for LabVIEW and TestStand.

“One of the biggest challenges for developers is the ‘blank VI’ problem—knowing where to start. AI-generated code provides a practical starting point that allows engineers to become productive much faster,” he said.

Looking ahead, Schrier described the company’s longer-term ambition of developing an agentic AI framework capable of orchestrating much larger portions of the engineering lifecycle—from translating system requirements into test plans to debugging software, monitoring execution and analysing results. While the company is targeting an early 2027 timeframe for broader agentic capabilities, Schrier cautioned that the AI landscape continues to evolve rapidly.

“We’re deliberately remaining flexible because AI is advancing at an extraordinary pace. Regardless of how capable AI becomes, our philosophy remains ‘engineer in the loop.’ Human engineers will always validate and certify results, particularly in safety-critical industries.”

The growing importance of India within Emerson’s global engineering strategy was highlighted by Baskar Ceri, who noted that NI has maintained operations in India for nearly 27 years and has steadily expanded its engineering footprint. He pointed to the company’s Engineering Innovation Center in Bengaluru, where startups, researchers and industrial customers can prototype, validate and optimise systems before investing in production-scale infrastructure.

“India has evolved from being simply a market into becoming a strategic engineering hub for Emerson’s global test-and-measurement business,” Ceri said. “Our Engineering Innovation Center enables customers to experiment, validate designs and significantly reduce development risks before scaling.”

Ceri also highlighted NI India’s Global Innovation Center, which develops software products used across the company’s worldwide portfolio, alongside its calibration facilities that support customers across multiple industries. He noted the strength of India’s engineering community, particularly the rapidly growing LabVIEW ecosystem, pointing out that a recent user-group event was conducted simultaneously across eight Indian cities.

Highlighting India’s expanding role in high-technology programmes, Ceri cited Skyroot Aerospace’s successful orbital launch programme as an example where NI technologies supported testing throughout the development lifecycle.

“Whether it’s private space missions like Skyroot or programmes involving ISRO, the Ministry of Defence, transportation agencies or leading academic institutions such as the IITs and NITs, our objective is to provide the technology platforms that help engineers innovate faster,” he said.

The discussion also underscored the importance of strategic partnerships in addressing increasingly complex engineering challenges. Priyachandar P said no single organisation can independently address the growing sophistication of modern test systems, making collaboration essential.

“The complexity of today’s engineering environment requires an ecosystem approach. By combining NI’s open test platform with L&T Technology Services’ engineering capabilities, we’re enabling customers to innovate faster while maintaining confidence in system reliability and quality,” he said.

He added that the partnership has significance well beyond India, supporting customers across global aerospace, defence, automotive, industrial automation and semiconductor markets. Representing LTTS, Ashish Khushu explained that the company is increasingly positioning itself around what it describes as Engineering Intelligence, integrating AI across the product lifecycle.

He said LTTS today generates approximately US$1.3 billion in annual revenue, employs nearly 20,000 engineers, operates around 100 R&D and innovation labs, and holds more than 1,800 patents, including over 244 patents related to artificial intelligence. “We’re building AI-native engineering capabilities across physical AI, embedded AI, visual AI and AI-chip-based systems. Precision engineering demands that software, hardware and applications work together seamlessly, and that’s precisely where our collaboration with NI creates value,” Khushu said.

He described the relationship between LTTS and NI as one that has evolved over more than 15 years, extending well beyond systems integration. “We’ve partnered with NI not only to implement solutions but also to recommend their technologies to customers and contribute to product strategy and real-world deployment. It’s a partnership built around engineering excellence rather than conventional IT services.”

Despite the rapid advances in artificial intelligence, every speaker emphasised that engineering judgement remains irreplaceable. Schrier reiterated that deterministic testing continues to be the final authority whenever AI-generated recommendations conflict with regulatory or safety requirements.

“If AI suggests one answer and deterministic testing proves another, the deterministic test wins every time. Safety and compliance cannot be compromised.” Ceri echoed that sentiment, noting that sectors such as aerospace, defence, medical technology and space systems demand rigorous validation processes where human expertise remains indispensable.

Precision, not just AI

Khushu added that regulated industries require precision that AI alone cannot guarantee. “Healthcare, aerospace and critical infrastructure demand engineering discipline. AI is a powerful accelerator, but it must always operate within a robust engineering framework.”

The roundtable also highlighted NI’s broader ecosystem strategy in India. Priyachandar said the company continues to expand its network of distributors, system integrators, academic institutions and startup collaborations based on customer requirements rather than partner size. He noted that NI currently works with three authorised distributors in India, supports customers through an e-commerce platform, and is exploring a proposed Centre of Excellence for Intelligent Test Systems.

The company is also collaborating on a Tata Technologies-NI-AWS hackathon involving nearly 700 engineering colleges, aimed at strengthening the country’s future engineering talent pipeline. Taken together, the announcements reflected Emerson NI’s broader strategic direction: preserving the open, software-centric test-and-measurement architecture that has defined the company for decades while embedding artificial intelligence into every stage of engineering.

Rather than positioning AI as a replacement for engineers, the company presented it as an intelligent collaborator—one that enhances productivity, accelerates innovation and strengthens decision-making while leaving final responsibility firmly in the hands of human experts. As engineering systems become increasingly software-defined and AI-assisted, Emerson is betting that the future of test and measurement will be built not only on smarter tools, but also on stronger partnerships and a growing innovation ecosystem anchored in India.

By Subramanya Joshi in Bengaluru