India's Additive Manufacturing Strategy Progress and Sector Applications
India is emerging as a competitive player in additive manufacturing (AM) through the National Strategy for Additive Manufacturing (NSAM) introduced in 2022 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The strategy has made significant progress, training over 154,000 individuals and supporting 56 AM start-ups while developing 65 India-specific technologies covering materials, machines, design for additive manufacturing, and printed products.
The global AM machines market is projected to reach USD 149 billion by 2035, with the AM-electronics supply chain expected to grow from USD 18 billion to USD 112 billion. NSAM aims to capture 5% of the global additive manufacturing market, add nearly USD 1 billion to India's GDP, develop 50 India-specific technologies, nurture 100 new additive manufacturing start-ups, develop 500 new products, and train 100,000 skilled workers for the additive manufacturing workforce.
Sector-Specific Applications and Demonstrations
AM technology is being adopted across critical sectors of India's economy. In space and aerospace, IIT Madras-incubated start-up Agnikul Cosmos launched Agnibaan - SOrTeD in May 2024 featuring a single-piece, AM printed semi-cryogenic rocket engine. In defense, the Indian Army inaugurated its first AM-printed two-story dwelling unit at Ahmedabad built in just 12 weeks and has extended the technology to precast defenses in operational terrains like Ladakh.
Healthcare applications include MeitY-supported AM-based medical device manufacturing and startups like OsteoForge that is AM printing natural silk-based implant development. The Technology Development Board is supporting 3D-printed bone grafts made from indigenous bioceramic materials. In electronics, NSAM has successfully demonstrated AM printed electronics components including batteries, antennas, varistors, and capacitors, with IISc demonstrating Photonic Integrated Circuit blocks using AM printing.
Construction sector applications show promising results, with the Kelvin 6K Pro on-site 3D construction printer demonstrating the ability to build 2,500 sq ft homes in under 30 days using low-carbon geopolymer material. Early applications indicate potential for 30% lower material and logistics costs and 90% lower emissions compared with cement-based construction.
Institutional Framework and Future Plans
The government has established seven specialised Development and Deployment Centres to support research and development, skilling, and hands-on technology access. NSAM 2.0 is being conceptualized to support India's aspiration for AM market acceleration, focusing on Intellectual Property Rights generation, digital integration, developing globally competitive technologies for commercialization, improving affordability of machines and materials through clusters, and strengthening the additive manufacturing electronics value chain.
NSAM 2.0 plans to expand the additive manufacturing start-up base, provide extensive support to Indian defense, promote Sustainable Development Goal-driven pilot programmes, and deepen international cooperation through standards, joint research, and technology partnerships. The government is also nurturing 3D printing skills at the school level through Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs), with each lab receiving a grant of ₹20 lakh to set up innovation workspaces equipped with 3D printers.
Events and Coordination
ESTIC-2026, the second edition of India's Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation Conclave, will be held from 27-29 October 2026 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, organized by the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR). The event will advance emerging science and technology frontiers including Additive Manufacturing. MeitY also organized the 2nd National Additive Manufacturing Symposium (NAMS) edition on 13 March 2026 in New Delhi, which strengthened collaboration across India's AM ecosystem through MoU exchanges, product launches, and panel discussions covering NSAM 2.0, defence adoption, and industry perspectives.