3D Printing in India: How It Is Transforming Manufacturing
Sep 25, 2026
The Indian manufacturing industry is one of the most rapidly expanding in the world, and the need for mass customization in goods has risen significantly. 3D printed applications are seeing a boom in India's automobile, defence, aerospace and aviation sectors. All these factors are fuelling the development of the 3D printing market.
Due to increased customizability and a reduction in errors, zero-material waste, and low development costs and time, 3D printing has become a major market focus in recent years.
In the aerospace sector, the growing need for 3D printed high-performance polymers is one of the most important factors driving market development. The demand for aircraft to transport more cargo and people has increased the demand for lightweight aviation components, and this has resulted in increased use of additive manufacturing in aircraft components.
India has seen increasing adoption of 3D printing technologies with growth rates over 30% year-on-year across materials. The industry has evolved from being a prototyping tech to end use production, with metal AM (additive manufacturing) leading the course.
- Mahesh Makhija, Partner, Technology Consulting, EY
Furthermore, the growing production base of the robotics, medical prosthesis and automotive sectors in India will accelerate the market's expansion. Today, 3D printing is extensively used across consumer electronics, military, aerospace, automotive, healthcare and education, to name just a few.
The numbers have caught up with the enthusiasm. India's 3D printing market was valued at around USD 860 million in 2025 and is projected to grow at a compound rate of roughly 21% a year through 2034, according to IMARC Group. Fused deposition modelling leads the technology segment at about 35% share, plastics dominate materials at 42%, and (notably for anyone manufacturing here) South India accounts for close to 35% of the national market, the largest regional share in the country.
In this piece we will cover:
- History of 3D printing in India
- The National Strategy on Additive Manufacturing
- Present-day status of 3D printing in India
- Real-life examples: cementing the presence of India in 3D printing
History of 3D printing in India
It is unclear how and when 3D printing entered the Indian market. However, we can trace its roots by looking at companies that are well established and have been in this field for a significant period. Over a decade ago, the cost of 3D printers ranged from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 2 lakhs. These printers were beginner-level models popular in the US and Europe, often sold as DIY kits.
Shiny beginnings
The 3D printing story in India is incomplete without mentioning Imaginarium. It is a Mumbai-based company founded in 2003, using 3D printing to make jewelry. They managed to reduce waste and cut costs in jewelry production, and improved their turn-around time. In 2006, they started another specialized engineering branch called Rapid, which views 3D printing from a manufacturing lens.
The medical field is one of the fastest industries to take up new technology. In 2011 Imaginarium used 3D printing to help doctors with medical solutions. Eventually, they started to provide 3D printing services in sectors like architecture, construction, automotive and consumer goods.
In 2012, four friends at an incubator programme in Manipal University started a 3D printing business called Global 3D Labs (2014). Their focus was on manufacturing, sales and servicing 3D printers, and they developed their own printers for hobbyists and the baking industry. Fabheads, started in 2015, took 3D printing to a new level by developing a carbon fiber 3D printing process. Today, many other companies such as divideByZero and Ethereal Machines have also come up in the Indian 3D printing arena.
The National Strategy on Additive Manufacturing
The single most significant policy development for Indian 3D printing came in February 2022, when the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology released the National Strategy on Additive Manufacturing. It set out to make India a global hub for the design, development and deployment of 3D printing rather than an importer of it.
The targets are specific. The strategy aims to capture 5% of the global additive manufacturing market and add roughly USD 1 billion to GDP, and to get there it set out to develop 50 India-specific technologies across materials, machines and software, create 100 new additive manufacturing startups, bring 500 new products to market, and train one lakh skilled workers.
What matters about that for manufacturers is the emphasis on an indigenous ecosystem: machines and materials developed here rather than imported. That is the context in which Indian-built printers, and the companies building them, have become strategically interesting rather than merely commercially interesting.
Present-day status of 3D printing in India
In their respective fields, some of the finest Indian 3D printing businesses have shown their mettle, using a range of methods to innovate the market.
Government organisations
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed formal Memorandums of Understanding with Agnikul Cosmos and Skyroot Aerospace, giving them access to ISRO's resources and experience in building and testing space launch vehicles. ISRO has also been experimenting with fiber printing for its space-worthy components.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation has certified a key aero engine component produced by Wipro 3D and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd.
Along with DRDO and ISRO, the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force have been establishing their own centres for 3D printing, where they can produce required parts and carry out further research on the technology.
Private organisations
Fabheads, specialising in composites manufacturing and offering end-to-end design and production services, was the first company in Asia to develop in-house fiber 3D printing capabilities. It has won many accolades including the iDEX award to develop carbon fiber helicopter blades for the Indian Air Force, and National Startup of the Year 2020, a first for a 3D printing company.
DivideByZero became the first Indian company to sell their in-house developed 3D printer to the USA. Tvasta is the first 3D printing construction company in India. We will look at these companies in detail below.
In early 2021, L&T Construction achieved success in 3D printing what it described as the world's first two-storey printed structure, created using a bespoke concrete mix.
Types of 3D printing company
At present, 3D printing businesses in India divide into three broad models:
- 3D printer developers: design and development in-house (Fabheads, Objectify Technologies, Fracktal Works)
- 3D printer re-sellers: selling printers made in India or abroad (Novabeans, 3D Print World, Time to 3D)
- 3D printing service companies: providing manufacturing services using 3D printers (Fabheads, Objectify Technologies, Stratasys India, Fracktal Works)
While re-sellers and service companies are a big part of the ecosystem, it is the rise of printer development companies in India that really shows the strides the country has taken.
In case of carbon fiber, by actually using additive manufacturing, you can increase the strength of the material. So you can tweak the processes, tweak the overall mass and weight of the system and even the strength. So that is how this material is actually the most ideal candidate for additive manufacturing.
- Dhinesh Kanagaraj, CEO of Fabheads
3D printing growth in India
Interest in 3D printing continues to grow. Researchers are exploring the technology to solve a wide range of problems, and the study A Study on The Entrepreneurial Opportunities, Global and Indian Economy in 3D Printing Sector digs into its impact on the Indian sector.
Real-life examples: cementing India's presence in 3D printing
Industry 4.0 promises digitisation of manufacturing, and 3D printing is central to it. Digital fabrication uses rapid prototyping and on-demand manufacturing to speed up production while making customer-centric products. Let us look at some of the companies investing in these sectors.
Aerospace and defence
India is on the path to becoming a major exporter of defence equipment, and the aerospace and defence industry has been using 3D printing since 1989. It is now one of the fastest-growing segments: additive manufacturing in Indian aerospace and defence is estimated at around USD 285 million in 2026, growing at close to 19% a year, with adoption across aerospace OEMs rising more than 20% year on year. Through it, the sector can achieve:
- Lightweight parts
- Functional and practical prototypes (rapid prototyping)
- Low-volume production
- Material efficiency
ISRO: The Indian Space Research Organisation signed MoUs with Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos, providing access to ISRO's facilities and expertise in the development and testing of space launch vehicles. System and subsystem testing for launch vehicles takes place at ISRO facilities.
ideaForge: In the past, when we talked about advanced defence technology, we frequently looked to foreign corporations. The situation now is very different. The rise of companies such as ideaForge and Fabheads has reversed that trend, with world-beating technology being developed in India.
ideaForge is one of India's largest producers of drones for defence, homeland security and industrial use, with in-house R&D, design, software, production, services and training. It secured a contract with the Indian Army to supply drones worth Rs. 145 crore, and the Army placed a further order for an upgraded version of its SWITCH tactical drones, specialised for high-altitude operation, such as in Ladakh.
Agnikul Cosmos: founded in 2017 at IIT Madras, Agnikul builds small satellite launch vehicles. Its Agnilet engine is the world's first single-piece, fully 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket engine, replacing what would traditionally be more than a hundred separate components.
The engine has since flown. On 30 May 2024, Agnikul successfully launched Agnibaan SOrTeD from Dhanush, India's first private launchpad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, marking the world's first flight powered by a single-piece 3D-printed engine, India's first semi-cryogenic engine launch, and the country's first launch from a privately built pad. The Agnibaan vehicle is designed to carry payloads of roughly 30 to 300 kg to low Earth orbit.
Over the next few years, I expect Engineering, Industrials, Tooling, Education, Medical and Aerospace & Defense segments should exhibit promising growth in India's 3D printing market.
- Santosh Kasture, Director of Fast Track Management Consultants
Fabheads: a composite manufacturing company working with hybrid manufacturing techniques, of which 3D printing is a prominent part. Fabheads was the first organisation in India to develop a carbon fiber 3D printer, a feat only a handful of companies worldwide have achieved.
Why carbon fiber? Carbon fiber composite is twice as strong as steel but five times lighter, making it an ideal manufacturing material for many aerospace parts. (Read more in our article on carbon fiber.)
Fabheads caters to industries including automotive, aerospace, marine and robotics, and its composite 3D printing technology has been used in drones, marine products and more. Those printers are now on the market: the fabmachines range spans the D2 Series for entry-level users, the pellet-based X-Series for rapid production, the industrial-grade G-Series, and the F-Series (India's first indigenous continuous fiber 3D printer), supported by in-house manufacturing infrastructure.
Automobile sector
Additive manufacturing services are extensively used in the automotive industry. With an influx of new designs entering the market, it is critical for designers and other stakeholders to verify ideas through visual models, whether a tabletop model or a full-sized car.
Imaginarium, for example, 3D printed components for a manufacturer building a supercar for a show in the United Kingdom. A large number of components (headlight, hood, tyres, air vents, wings and logo) were created using 3D printing. The technology can produce translucent or opaque components for visual representations in addition to a range of materials and finishes.
In the coming era it is going to be mass customisation over mass manufacturing in the automotive segment.
- Director, Imaginarium (India) Pvt. Ltd.
Three techniques in particular make 3D printing central to automobile manufacturing:
- Generative design
- Optimisation of style and topology
- Customisation of parts and components
Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki are two leading automobile companies that have invested in R&D for 3D printing of cars.
3D printing is an integral part of our production process. We are running several internal initiatives around this technology, which involve designing select parts of the vehicle that are 3D-printed.
- Pratap Bose, head of design, Tata Motors
In July 2021, Tata Technologies partnered with Stratasys to enable additive manufacturing in India, bringing Stratasys expertise to automotive and other solutions in the Indian manufacturing landscape.
Medical
The medical and dental sectors are also realising the potential of 3D printing. Bio-printing has changed the medical industry: from building prosthetics to growing live tissues, 3D printing has diverse applications in medicine. With additive manufacturing, one can create implants, grow cell cultures, make dental dentures and much more.
AlgoSurg: focused on algorithms for 3D simulation of orthopaedic surgeries, spanning augmented-reality surgical navigation and robotics, automatic patient-specific instrument and implant design (X3DPSI), cloud-based 3D surgery planning (Tabplan3D), and AR-based surgical training (OpenSurgiSim).
We need disruptive innovations in Healthcare Technology.
- Vikas Karade, AlgoSurg CEO
'XrayTo3D' is the technology that allows two-dimensional X-ray pictures to be converted into three-dimensional models. Tabplan3D, created by Vikas Karade, CEO of AlgoSurg and an IIT Bombay researcher, is used to plan orthopaedic operations in a virtual 3D environment, helpful for joint operations such as deformity repair and joint replacement.
Divide By Zero has proven valuable to healthcare professionals in India and abroad. 3D printing has made it possible to convert CT scans of the brain into models for mock surgery and anatomical models for research. Their in-house Accucraft i250D printers have produced pre-operative models for delicate and complex operations.
The company offers resources to help physicians and surgeons plan, practise and perform intricate operations with greater accuracy. Medical schools and students benefit from the same models for research or practice, and Divide By Zero has produced custom-made prostheses that are more affordable, practical and accurate than the previous generation.
Architecture and construction
3D printing is steadily making its way into the Indian construction industry, with both startups and large corporations introducing the technology. 3D printers are being used to build houses and buildings across the world, using materials like cement, concrete, plastic and polymers. Construction using 3D printing is more efficient and faster than traditional methods, which take up long hours of manual labour.
Tvasta, an IIT-Madras based startup, constructed a 600 sq ft house using concrete 3D printing technology. A house of that size typically takes four to five months to complete; with 3D printing it took four to five days. The model points to what the technology can do for the construction industry: optimising time, materials and logistics.
L&T Construction reached a significant milestone by building a 3D printed multi-storey residence, which the company believes will affect the availability of affordable housing.
The structure, with a floor area of 65 m², was manufactured using a large-format concrete 3D printer and a printable concrete mix created by L&T's own architects and engineers. It included vertical reinforcing bars and horizontal welded mesh distributors, and was produced in 106 hours. The building, at Kanchipuram in Chennai, features integrated reinforcing bars and complies with India's building regulations.
3D printing will not only speed up the manufacturing of multi-floor constructions, but actually improve the quality and durability of houses.
- MV Satish, Senior Executive Vice-President at L&T Construction
Conclusion
These are only a few of the many examples that tell the story of 3D printing in India. The technology will continue to grow and add to the global economy. Many companies are shifting their focus from traditional manufacturing to additive manufacturing, and with companies like Relativity Space in the USA 3D printing whole rockets, there is still ground for Indian companies to cover.
Product development in India is becoming more sophisticated. India is no longer just providing services through software but is also applying design thinking to invent new products. 3D printing acts as a catalyst, enabling people to research and use creative ways to produce products that solve big problems.
India is a few steps behind the global pioneers of 3D printing technology but growing at a faster pace. The marketplace here is diverse and, to a large extent, still unexplored. With the support of large companies and government initiatives, the future of 3D printing in India looks strong.
3D printing will introduce a new, leaner, Indian manufacturing industry
- Anand Prakasam, Fortune India
Manufacturing in India and need composite parts that are lighter and stronger than conventional materials allow? Talk to our team about your requirement.
Frequently asked questions
Which companies do 3D printing in India?
Indian 3D printing companies span three models: printer developers such as Fabheads, Objectify Technologies and Fracktal Works; re-sellers such as Novabeans and 3D Print World; and service providers including Stratasys India. Others include Imaginarium, Divide By Zero, Ethereal Machines, Agnikul Cosmos and Tvasta.
What is 3D printing used for in India?
Aerospace and defence components, automotive prototyping and production parts, medical implants and surgical planning models, construction of printed houses and buildings, and jewellery manufacturing.
Who makes carbon fiber 3D printers in India?
Fabheads was the first company in Asia to develop in-house continuous fiber 3D printing capability. Its fabmachines range includes the F-Series, India's first indigenous continuous fiber 3D printer.
Has India 3D printed a rocket engine?
Yes. Agnikul Cosmos developed the Agnilet, the world's first single-piece fully 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket engine, and flew it on the Agnibaan SOrTeD mission on 30 May 2024 from India's first private launchpad.