13 Indian Companies That Are Creating A Revolution In The Form Of 3D Printing

When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press during the Industrial Revolution, he single-handedly changed history. Before long, gone were the days of handwritten documents and block printing. Productivity increased, literacy rates accelerated and instantly, by extension, life changed. No one probably imagined that there could be another leap forward in this domain, until the technology of 3D printing was discovered. This technology has not only increased creativity, but also made it possible for the population to obtain products that was once thought inaccessible. However, unlike the printing press, it took a while before people were able to wrap their minds around the possibilities associated with this invention.

Three-dimensional printing is not new; it has been applied in science and industry for years. But, due to advances in technology, it is now becoming increasingly relevant, and with this technology, production of objects will soon shift from factories to home, or so, people hope. In the past few years, 3D printing has been evolving and seeping into various sectors. From designing prototypes to creating medical supplies, Indian 3D printing startups are quickly catching up with the world in terms of innovation and technology.

While we are able to catch up with the other countries in terms of technology, we are still far behind in terms of research that is carried out, due to several reasons, including lack of resources and investment. Hopefully, as the industry grows and the players become stronger, this will change. The momentum is gathering, and before we know it, this technology could become a part of our daily life. So, we decided to call a few players in this game-changing industry to find out what they have been up to and here is what we found out:

I. 3Ding

II. 3DPrintronics

3D Printronics was started in 2013 with the aim to promote desktop 3D printing in the country by providing desktop 3D printers, components and printing services under one roof. They also involve themselves in open source networking, which they use to spread awareness about the industry and help people who wish to build their own printers. Their aim is to help the industry grow by encouraging and helping people understand the nuances behind 3D printing.

“We started this company solely because of our fascination towards this technology. The excitement we feel when we see something being built from scratch is what keeps us going.”

They began by building 3D printers for themselves, but soon realised that India is far behind in terms of technology when they had difficulties procuring components. It was the desire to change this that drove them to start a platform under which they could provide the needed components.

The client list: “We have clients from all walks of life. What we create depends on your ingenuity and ours as well. Today, 3D printing is an integral part of almost every industry—architects, automobile companies, product design companies, students—the applications are unlimited.

If you could 3D print anything in the world: "A plane that I can fly!"

The wackiest order you have ever received: “Frames of drones”

III. Altem Technologies

Altem Technologies was founded in 2011, making them one of the pioneers in introducing this technology to India. They offer 3D scanners, printers and CAD & CAE software solutions with the view to engage and educate customers on 3D printing applications.

“The ecosystem of 3D printing in India is expanding. Our country will witness millions of jobs in 3D printing technologies created across sectors in the future generations to come.”

Altem Technologies believes that one of the key contributors to the growth in the 3D printing industry will be the 'Make in India' campaign. Though the technology is in its nascent stage in India, they have moved from using the technology in just manufacturing. to other fields like medical healthcare, dental, education, and architecture.

The client list: “Our clients are from the fields of defence and aerospace, the automotive industry, electronics, technical institutes, and even international schools, management colleges, and dentists.”

If you could 3D print anything in the world: “We would love to 3D print our PM Narendra Modi. We can 3D Scan him with our Artec Hand held 3D Scanners capture the data in 3D Soft format and print in our Connex3 range of full colour printer.”

The wackiest order you have ever received: “We haven’t executed any wacky orders yet, but we do have enquiries where people get a little crazy. People approach us for buying printers for all kinds of funny ideas without getting into economies of scale. People have also enquired us for printing 3D human ears, or building homes, reading into some futuristic news from global corners.”

IV. Brahma3

Brahma3 is the brand name behind the creation of Brahma3 Anvil, one of India’s wholly indigenous 3D desktop printers. In 2013, Nikhil Velpanur and Arvind Nadig, the two co-founders of the company, quit the jobs so that they could start their own design studio. They hoped to work with a 3D printer for most of their projects—until they realised the high cost involved in buying one. So, they decided to build their own printer using information that was available online. Their first prototype was ready in two weeks. However, they wanted to create a product that was evolved and so they expanded their team to include aerospace and mechanical engineers. Four months later, Brahma3 Anvil was born and ready for the world.

"As pioneers in the market, we hope to disrupt the 3D printing ecosystem by fuelling collaborative growth through deep technology and innovative products and advanced 3D printing materials."

The client list: “Brahma3 is now closely collaborating with customers involved in the field of architecture, education, prosthetic, medicine and product design. We work with our customers to guide them from legacy processes to migrate into the world of 3D printing, which is an extremely essential step to help the market grow. People need to be educated to understand the profound effects this technology can have in different sectors. Currently, we are working along with a network of engineering students and doctors to build prosthetic hands for young, handicapped children. We want to provide affordable solutions through an open source community and NGO-funded initiatives. Apart from this, we work with educational institutes, medium-scale design and product companies, and architects by providing design solutions and 3D printers. We have established strategic partnerships with leading Aerospace MNC's and renowned research institutes to innovate on advanced materials for 3D printing and to expand our Intellectual Property portfolio."

If you could 3D print anything in the world:

The wackiest order you have ever received:

V. FORM3D

FORM3D is a product design, development, prototyping, and production company that specialises in creating customised products. The concept of 3D printing seeped into their brand while trying to come up with a solution for architects who weren't satisfied with existing prototype methods. They entered this industry with the intention to focus only on architects. However, soon enough, they had clients from various industries coming to them.

“We don’t just do 3D printing. We do moulding, casting, etching…we basically try and create the product that you need. If there is a better process to make it, then we will take that up.”

The client list: "We have quite a huge scope. Like I said, we started out with the view to help architects and we still have many approaching us to create models and sometimes even pieces of the entire model. Recently, we created one intricately designed windowpane model for a house. We have scientists approaching us. There are manufacturers who want to change the process of manufacturing and create new devices.”

“We even do corporate gifting. We create customised penholders, phone cases, trophies, dog tags—even bands approach us for guitar picks with the band logo. It is all very exciting, with completely different kind of orders coming in everyday. We have our in-house designers and they work on products that we conceptualise, keeping in mind the shortages in the market. We design products that can try and solve it. We also have two artists and they are probably the ones who do the most work. Because there is a lot of finishing work involved with 3D printing. We also create 3D printed intricately designed and molded candles. We think that this technology can benefit artists and create a new genre all together.”

If you could 3D print anything in the world: "I think 3D printing can help make some medical breakthroughs, once the technology of 3D printing organs is completely developed, and I would love to be a part of that process."

The wackiest order you have ever received: "We once had an order for customised keychains that are designed in sex positions. We went on to created a whole line. It is basically two keychains—a male and a female, but when they are put together, they form a sex position."

V. Fracktal Works

Fracktal began after its two founders won an entrepreneurial competition in college while they were studying at the Manipal Institute of Technology—their idea was to create mind-controlled robots. After winning the competition, they were given funds and a 3D printer to develop their idea. It was while they were working on the project that the idea of creating components for 3D printers came to them. They pitched the idea to the business incubator in college and soon, Fracktal Works became a reality. For ten months, they worked out of their college campus, finally shifting to Bengaluru only last year.

“The market for 3D printing is still in its early stages. Many companies are springing up and many of the bigger companies are trying to get into the Indian market. This industry has a really exciting future!”

The client list: “A lot of companies belonging to the manufacturing industry reach out to us and we provide them with rapid prototyping solutions, amongst other things. Engineering colleges are beginning to experiment with the possibilities of 3D printing and we have helped set up 3D labs in many colleges across the country. One of our clients gets us to print models of tanks and aircrafts because he likes collecting them. Recently, we were approached by a hospital who wanted us to create a prototype of a skull and this was later used to run tests and decide on treatment procedure.”

If you could 3D print anything in the world: "Figures of Batman and Superman, for now!”

The wackiest order you have ever received: “3D printing shoes! We came to realise that the material for this is available in the market. Until now, we have been printing shoes using plastic. Our next project, as soon as we get our hands on the material, is to 3D print footwear that you can actually use.”

VI. Imaginarium

The creation of Imaginarium is the result of the founders’ passion for the technology compounded with their understanding of the glorious future that awaits this machine. Despite being unsure of how receptive the market would be, they knew they had to take the plunge, and so they did.

“Since its invention, 3D printing technologies have made a profound influence on the way designs are conceptualized and made, finding a new application every day. While 3D printing adoption is gaining popularity, 4D printing has already surfaced! It could shape into a disruptive technology or get replaced by another."

The client list: “We support more than 30 industrial segments encompassing aerospace, automotive, white goods, jewellery, medical devices, surgical implants, prosthetics, toys, architecture, and art, to name a few. We have a diverse client base and teams working on many projects. That is what we look forward to every day—to work on something new. If we look at it practically, our machines and we work 24 hours, 365 days. On a typical day, we mostly have few confirmed appointments and about twenty-five to thirty walk-ins on average. The walk-ins are either business related or are those interested in learning about 3D printing. Quite a number of times we have had students in batches of 80 or more visiting us. Our volunteers are ever ready and glad to provide a guided tour of the place.”

As the markets developed, the need to scale up—bolstered by their own dreams of growth—caused them to invest in a fleet of machines and today they have come to become a one-stop shop.

If you could 3D print anything in the world: “We become the creator, Bramha! We may print our food, our dress, our homes, flowers on material front. We can print our dreams of any kind. Hope we do not venture to print a T-Rex and end the world! Surely, one can make or destroy if given that power! The world may restart all over again!”

The wackiest order you have ever received: “Well, we get many. Once we got a strange object, which after research, we realised was a sex toy. We couldn’t take up the order as per our corporate guidelines.”

VII. J Group Robotics

Vaibhav Jariwala and his brother set up the company in 2013, once he returned to India after getting his engineering degree from Lancaster University, UK. They first designed a rotimaker that would help people make rotis without any human effort. Once they finished designing the product, they realised that while it was easy to make one product, it was not the same if they had to mass-produce the design. When they became aware of the high cost involved in creating dyes for the mould, they concluded that this was the reason behind the scarcity of new Indian-made products in the market.

With the hope to do something that would change this situation, they decided to analyse the market and they understood that 3D printing technology could create a positive stir in the society. They roped in their friends, Vallabh Lukhi and Haresh Mehta, who shared a similar vision and began working towards the inception of J Group Robotics.

“Imagine, extra-terrestrial 3d printers. The idea is that we can use the machine to make hospitals, stay rooms, practically anything and have them deployed in space.”

They decided that they would first build a printer for themselves and then use this to create new products. Further research revealed to them the various types of printers and they decided to build each one. Over the years, they have successfully built jewellery printers, bio printers and even a concrete/ construction 3D printer. With the help of a construction printer, one can create up to 10 houses in a day.

The client list: “We have a lot of students approaching us. We have started colleges, mainly engineering colleges, so that they allow us to teach the students to build things using these printers. If we were to equip them with the expertise to use this technology, there is bound to be a spurt of innovations and inventions. We need that. Apart from that, we have industrialists, automobile manufacturers, and even ISRO."

If you could 3D print anything in the world: "There is something called Neuro 3D printing. How amazing it would be if we could design a way to source all the information from Einstein’s brain!”

The wackiest order you have ever received: “The government asked us to create a metal printer so we could help make weapons and equipment for the Defence Department.”

VIII. Bots KC

Bots KC was founded by Karan Chaphekar under the patronage of the company Grey Sim. Right from the start, they helped shape up this startup so that it would grow to have some implication in the real world.

“Our main aim is to create a machine for a layman, because the the use of 3D printers extends to almost all spheres, all the way to a housewife who probably wants to replace a handle of her utensil.”

Designing is an integral part of the process and many people are put off by this step and they want to make people understand that designing is something that can be done through a little intervention with the help of the many online softwares that exist for this purpose.

The client list: “Even though what we want is for novices and common people to reach out to us, there is yet a long way for us to go before that can happen. Right now, we have people from the jewellery industry, design companies, manufacturing companies, companies who want prototypes and the like reaching out to us. Usually, it is the educational institutions who approach us to buy the machine, and that is a great thing. Because, unless you know how to use it, there is no point and so this is a great way to start!”

If you could 3D print anything in the world: “Organs! It really will change the future of the health industry. I mean, you won’t have to wait for a donor and pray that it is a match, if you needed, say, a heart transplant. They will be able to create an organ, using your cells. That is nothing short of a miracle.”

The wackiest order you have ever received: “There is this thing called a marble adding machine. A teacher once approached us and asked us to re-create it, so that he could use it to teach his students, and we did.”

IX. Mahersoft

The foundation of our company lies in their simple desire to develop amazing products that evoke a deep emotional connection with our customer. The founder of the company, Mohammed Khorakiwala came across a 3D Printers for the first time in 2012 and he went on to order one of the most well established consumer 3D printer. At the time, he was working with one of the leading architectural companies in Mumbai. He used the printer to print their villa designs as plastic 3D Models and with time, it became glaringly evident that this particular printer was not at all reliable. It was then that he started sketching a plan to build an indigenously designed and engineered dual nozzle, high reliable 3D Printer. Over the next two years, he worked along with engineers from various fields with the goal of creating a high quality 3D printer.

“This is the future! Many people are trying to adapt the available technology and improving upon it. This is happening all over the world. We are helping the technology evolve.”

They constantly researched the market while designing the printer, trying to improve the fabricating techniques while saving costs that finally resulted in a consumer grade 3D printer called Max.

The client list: “Engineering and architecture College, medical equipment manufacturers, innovators, automobile manufacturing companies, freelancers into creative work, students who want to build a desktop 3d printers for themselves. The list is quite vast.”

If you could 3D print anything in the world: “My desk is full of 3D prints. I would love to print a guitar, though.”

The wackiest order you have ever received: “A human skull!”

X. Maker's Asylum

Maker’s Asylum is a community space located in Mumbai and Delhi that creates an environment conducive to the culture of hands-on learning and creative thinking. They provide a platform for creative entrepreneurs to prototype their ideas.

The story of Maker’s Asylum began when the ceiling of EyeNetra’s office in Mumbai fell down and broke all the furniture inside. Vaibhav Chhabra, a passionate carpenter went around on Meetup and Facebook looking for like-minded people to join him in making new workbenches for the office. 8 DIY enthusiasts showed up at the office and they made 3 tables in one day. From that day, they began meeting every week and continued building things. With time, more tools, products, and ideas overtook the space in the backroom. They called that room - the Asylum. It was only a matter of time before Maker’s Asylum became what it is today.

“It’s democracy in manufacturing. With the help of 3D printers and easy-to-use softwares that go with it, everyone is a designer.”

They provide everyone who walks in with the opportunity to explore their creative instincts by using their array of 3D printers, electronics lab and prototyping tools for woodworking, robotics, bicycle building and repair, rapid prototyping, open source computer-aided design. They regularly organize classes by local makers, to help people understand the nuances of the technology and help them create a product, using that knowledge.

The client list: “We are a maker space so we don’t have clients, per se. Our team is ever ready to help members who may need assistance but we prefer to train the community so they can do things for themselves. “

If you could 3D print anything in the world: “We have printed miniatures of cars and motocycle parts that went into building an actual race car. Next, is a 3D printed motorcycle. It’s not a distant dream, I assure you.”

XI. MakeWhale

This company is a newborn in this industry with its inception taking place earlier this year in January. The idea behind its birth was to use this technology to bring designs that were thought to be impossible to create, within the reach of the consumer. This company currently deals with premium gifting and with time, they will expand to other areas. They employee designers to help create what the customers want and each one of our designs is custom made.

“People are interested. We have big and small businesses, creative agencies and even individuals who are simply fascinated coming in. Of course, we do have to educate them a little bit, show them the possibilities. It is a little bit of a process to get them to see what can be done, but the end result is always worth it.”

The client list: “We have designers, businessmen, and people from all walks of life coming in. We have removed all sorts of technical association while branding ourselves, so we do not attract people from, say, engineering, or medical sector. Our focus is on gifting.”

If you could 3D print anything in the world: “No good answer will come out of a broad question like that. I mean, there are just so many options. If you ask what I want, I would say, I wish to become more skilled with using design technology so I could explore 3D printing further.”

The wackiest order you have ever received: “Recently we got an enquiry from a mother who wanted us to create a sculpture of her son with his favourite footballer. I think it was Ronaldo.”

XII. Solidry

Two years ago, Solidry came into existence with the aim of creating 3D printers for themselves. Slowly, they started providing printing services, and even though it was a novel concept, most architects and designers welcomed it.

“Initially, it was a very organic growth, through professionals who had an insight about the concept. Gradually we expanded. And now, we have non-professionals walking in, as well."

Last year they started a line of 3D selfies, whereby they would 3D scan a person and then 3d print their miniatures, a concept that seems to be doing wonders for them.

The client list: “We have a lot of couples coming in, because they love the idea of gifting miniature versions of themselves to their spouses. We even offer a special couples discount, now! We have a very mixed crowd coming in. We have CEOs and CFOs of companies coming in so that they can get 3D bobble-heads to gift their clients. It is all very exciting.”

If you could 3D print anything in the world: “Currently a lot of research is coming into food 3D printing and if it had to be tapped successfully, I would love the idea of installing ATM sized machine at remote locations where people could get food printed. It would help so many people!”

The wackiest order you have ever received: “We once had a client come in, asking for a custom bobble-head with a rickshaw as their base, so it looked like they are driving it. Ever since, the idea has become quite popular. We have customers asking for heads on a body doing a yoga position… it’s amazing what people can come up with.”

XIII. Think3D

A couple of students who graduated from BITS Pilani started Think3D, mainly because they knew that the future lies in this industry. They took a break from their individual careers and took a plunge into it and now, there are here for the long run. Through their company, they wish to develop and educate the market. They involve in 3D printing and designing and even act as A platform for sourcing hardware for the printers.