3D Printing Opportunities,

Challenges and the Future in India

0

BY VISHAL MAKHIJA+
IN ENTREPRENEUR FEATURED
7 JAN, 2014

STARTUP RESOURCES

451

Although 3D Printing technology has been around since the 1980s, 3D

printers have become commercially available from 2010 and their prices
have dropped considerably. A marked jump in the value of the market for 3D
printers and services globally was seen in the year 2012 with almost a 29%
rise in the value to $2.2 billion as compared to 2011.
What is 3D printing?
3D Printing or Additive Manufacturing is a process by which almost any threedimensional object of any shape can be made from a digital model. This is

achieved by an additive process whereby layers of materials are laid down in

different shapes. This method differs vastly from traditional machining
techniques that rely on the removal of materials either by cutting or drilling
which are subtractive processes. 3D printing technology has found varied
uses and benefits ranging from rapid prototyping to applications in
construction, architecture, engineering, medical industries, fashion, jewellery,
military, automobiles, aerospace and in a host of other fields. In the near
future it is expected that 3D printers would become easily available
consumer goods, thanks to the fact that they can offset the capital costs in
procuring them by enabling people to print common household items
rather than purchasing them from the market.
Not to be left behind, a few early adopters and pioneers in India have
embraced 3D printing technology and have set up successful businesses
around it. We spoke to a few of them about the opportunities, challenges and
the future of 3D printing in India. Heres what they had to say.

Opportunities in 3D Printing

Nikhil Velpanur, Co-founder, Brahma3

Nikhil Velpanur, co-founded Brahma3 based out of Bangalore along with his
friend Arvind Nadig in August 2013. The company manufactures 3D printers
and offers 3D printing services. The idea behind setting up Brahma3, a
design studio was to work on technologies that will change the world and
have a powerful impact over the next 10-20 years. While starting out, the two
friends realized that they needed to get their hands on a 3D printer to print
parts and designs for their projects. Even though they had never seen a 3D
printer before, the videos that they saw online got them very excited.
However the problem was that 3D printers were not available in India and to
import one was very expensive. They soon came across an open-source
community that had plans, drawings and schematics detailing the process of
building a 3D printer.

Brahma3 Anvil

In about 15 days, Nikhil and Arvind were successful in building one. Seeing a
digital file transforming into a physical object in front of their eyes was a

magical experience. Having tasted success in building a 3D printer, both of

them were convinced that this was the future and they saw an opportunity to
build their very own dream 3D printer from scratch. With the idea of building
the worlds best 3D printer that was both easy to use and aesthetically
appealing, they launched the Brahma3 Anvil in 3 months. Encouraged by the
fantastic reception that Brahma3 Anvil has got so far, Nikhil and Arvind have
dreams of building Indias best 3D printing company.
Talking about the opportunities that entrepreneurs can explore in the 3D
printing field, Every single industry will be revolutionized by 3D printing.
From printing organs and prosthetic limbs, to space stations, education,
science, manufacturing, fashion etc. The primary skill-sets that a person
needs to have is to be open to learning and absorb as many skills as possible.
3D printing is not hardware, its not software, its not design but a perfect
combination of all. So if anyone wants to cut their teeth in 3D printing and
setup a company of value, they need to be open, and get used to being
multidisciplinary in their approach. Since the 3D printing ecosystem and
market is just opening up, there will be millions of jobs created in ways we
cannot imagine, says Nikhil.

Sagar Shah, Sohrab Kothari & Samkit Shah, Co-founders, SAHAS Softech

Samkit Shah, Co-founder of Mumbai-based SAHAS Softech founded in April

2012, believes that 3D printing is applicable across almost all segments of
product development. His company offers consulting, 3D printing & rapid
prototyping and model making among many other services. He and the
companys other co-founders, Sagar Shah and Sohrab Kothari are extremely
excited to be present at a time when 3D printing technology is maturing and
can churn out products which can be used directly because of the range of
materials and finishes available that promise to take innovation and product
development to the next level. They are of the opinion that it is going to be
extremely vital for industries where current technologies are restricted as far
as production is concerned, for instance, in the manufacturing of aircraft,
using additive manufacturing components can be lighter and monolithic.
Their clients include makers of medical components, toy manufacturers, IT
companies and real estate companies to name a few.

Ijas Abdulla, Co-founder, 3Dify

Ijas Abdulla, co-founded 3Dify along with Rizwan Hashim and Jerry Althaf in
June 2013. Their Mumbai-based company offers 3D printing as a service.
Presently, the offerings are targeted at industries like architecture, jewellery
and rapid prototyping, preparing concept prototypes and models. On why he
go into 3D printing We believe that 3D printing will drive the next industrial
revolution. Increasingly we are seeing a pattern of decline of ownership from
businesses. For businesses especially SMEs, it does make sense not to make
a capital investment unless they have a significant daily requirement. We
believe an opportunity exists here for us to offer 3D printing as a service.
Also, we are looking at the consumer market and looking at how we can
extend our service to them especially through an online platform, he says.

Nitin Gandhi, Co-founder, LBD Makers

Three young engineers Nitin Gandhi, Jatin Sharma and Shivani Gupta cofounded LBD Makers, an organization based in Chandigarh that sells 3D
printers and also conducts workshops that educate school and college
students about 3D printing. Founded in August 2013, they started LBD
Makers, by organizing hands-on workshops in schools so that students can
make new things and learn to repair basic stuff. By doing so, we found that a
3D printer can revolutionize makers. We ordered a 3D printer and organized a
few workshops. Later education institutions started approaching us as they
actually wanted 3D printers in their institutions. We realized that the 3D
printer available in the market had some shortcomings and worked on
making a 3D printer that is user friendly. With continuous evolution they are
coming up with a printer that can print bi-colour objects.

Prateek Lohia, Owner, 3D Labs India

Prateek Lohia, Owner of 3D Labs India based in Kolkata started his company
soon after college as he felt the next big thing after e-commerce was 3D
Printing. He feels that bespoke products and industrial/commercial
prototyping are areas where 3D Printing will benefit people the most. He adds
that the time to market is reduced drastically when the prototypes are made
by printing rather than the regular methods of prototyping.
Challenges in 3D Printing

Nikhil sums up the many challenges that hound the 3D printing field in a
single sentence Nobody knows what 3D printing is! He goes on to add,
That is the first challenge to create the market itself and quickly show the
benefits and how 3D printing is going to change the world. Except for a few
investors, the investment community traditionally has a no risk taking
appetite and blindly fund things that are copied from successful Silicon Valley
business models. So doing things that have never been done before is not
going to get any support. These guys are going to hurt the 3D printing
ecosystem for future companies since they do not understand it or realize
that it is a capital intensive hardware business.
Echoing a similar sentiment, Samkit also says that funding at the time of
setting up their business was the most difficult stage as no bank or investor
was aware of this industry and even more they could not believe how 3D
printing could do what is being claimed. Some of the other challenges that he
lists are 1. The technologies are extremely capital intensive and so are the materials
which are higher than the prices prevalent outside India as everything is
imported from the developed countries.
2. A lot of design participants/entities (especially small scale & medium scale)
still do not believe in prototyping as an investment but see it as a costly
expenditure.
3. Only if materials could be engineered and locally produced, the cost could
come down drastically directly resulting in a healthy demand and supply.
4. The size of 3D printing equipment restricts a lot of products from being
made at one go.
5. A lack of in-depth knowledge about this 3D printing technology makes
companies who opt for prototyping, finally either doing away with it entirely
or finding another alternative. A common occurance is including in their
budget, the prices of items and materials as mentioned in the newspapers
which many a time publish prices of only low-cost equipments and machines
as compared to industrial grade equipments which are a lot more expensive.
This makes them postpone their need entirely ignoring the cost-benefit ratio,
which if taken into consideration would go a long way in companies including
3D printing in their design, research and even manufacturing cycles.
6. Not many understand the various 3D printing technologies available today
and most of the service bureaus do not provide design-prototypingmanufacturing assistance which largely reduces the reach of 3D printing.

What do investors look for before funding a 3D Printing Startup?

Ganesh Krishnan, Serial Entrepreneur, Chairman Portea Medical and, Founder & Ex-CEO of
TutorVista

Ganesh Krishnan, Serial Entrepreneur, Chairman Portea Medical and, Founder

& Ex-CEO of TutorVista has this to say about investing in 3D printing startups
3D printing could possibly be the next frontier in the technology world and I
do not want to miss that boat. So it is likely that I will invest given very
specific circumstances 1. Team It is absolutely essential that there is a strong team of people who
understand their stuff. They should know the industry, the current players,
the landscape, the future of the industry and technology like the back of their
hand. I might even bring in an expert to survey them technically before I
decide to invest.
2. The Product 3D printing has plenty of draws cost and quality are by far
the largest. Does the product that the team has built affect either one of
these two, if not both?
3. The Customer If I am investing in a startup, I want to see that they are
clear that their technology is best used by say a small-time jewellery
manufacturer in Ghana or a childrens toy manufacturer in Taiwan. When they
have this clarity, I am in a better position to evaluate them.
4. The Value Proposition Ultimately, I want to hear one thing from the
startup I will invest in I have built this 3D printer that will be used by
artisans in India making artificial jewellery. It will cut their costs by Rs 20 per
kg of stainless steel they use and make their process faster. The artisan will
recover costs in 3 weeks and we will turn a profit in 6 months. Come tell me
that, and I will be investing in you tomorrow.
His advice to entrepreneurs is to first and foremost, survey the industry. See
who everybody else is investing in. Know the industry inside out. What kind of
3D printing startups already exist? Who is being acquired? If you become the
domain expert on 3D printing, the angels will trust you significantly more.
Then see where the gaps are in the industry. What verticals have a clear

leader and what verticals are still open. 3D Systems is buying startups left,
right and centre. See what all areas they already have a stronghold on and
whats left unconquered.
The startup that gets every single small-medium enterprise that makes
something jewellery, plastics, ceramics to use a 3D printer for their
manufacturing. They are gold.

Akshita Ganesh, Associate Product Manager, Zynga

His daughter, Akshita Ganesh, a budding entrepreneur and Associate Product

Manager, Zynga says her pet project would be to see how 3D printers in the
toys and gifts space takes off. With a 3D printer, everybody can give a
personalized, homemade gift of good quality. That will be a first.

Parag Dhol, Managing Director, Inventus Advisory Services (India)

Parag Dhol, Managing Director of Inventus Advisory Services (India) Pvt. Ltd.
says, Indeed, 3D printing is an emerging area. However most investors,
even if initially unaware of a space, will spend time and effort if the venture
or team excites them. As a teachers son, the adage, If you cant explain,
you havent understood appeals to me. He feels that startups engaged in
3D printing are not very different from other technology startups and as such
entrepreneurs behind such ventures should knock many doors and be
prepared for many nos. Eventually, if your plan has promise, a beholder will
come along. He goes onto add, one specific piece of advice would be to
make the differentiation clear particularly because international dominance
in hardware is a ground reality. Price, generally, cannot be it.
Future of 3D Printing in India
Nikhil is optimistic about the future of 3D printing in India when he says, 3D
printing in India is an exciting prospect as it is completely virgin and the most
exciting use cases of 3D printing in a rural or social context is bound to come
out of India. We have some inherent strengths since we are a country of
makers and India cannot wait to jump into 3D printing and leapfrog the rest
of the world. His company, Brahma3 plans to launch 3 new printers this year
and build a strong community of makers and collaborators that would be
aimed at exploring the future of 3D printing in India. Prateek feels that

currently 3D printing is at its peak of a hype phase. The next few years will
see a lot of consolidation happening in the market that would give a clear
direction to the industry.
Ijas is clearly excited about the future of 3D printing in India when he says
Additive Manufacturing or 3D printing grew 28.6% last year counting all
types of revenues. The media attention has almost doubled in the past one
year and the technology is now being slowly accepted by a lot of industries in
India. Currently 3D printers can print using 84 different materials and big and
medium sized companies are already exploring 3D printers to improve their
operations.
Bespoke creations, along with the ability to easily design your products with
a parametric system and distributed manufacturing in areas where regular
manufacturing is not possible is the future in India, says Prateek. Samkit has
this to say about the future of 3D printing in India We see extremely
vibrant activities happening as far as 3D printing is concerned but again the
priority is material engineering activity, while equipment support has to be
pursued more seriously.

Advice to entrepreneurs and startups wishing to get into 3D

printing
Samkit believes that the understanding of technologies is more important
than the prices of equipments or raw materials and doing a thorough market
research is important as every technology has a limited set of compatible
materials and a limited set of target markets. Hence it is very important to
match these constraints in order to have a faster break-even.
3D printing has a variety of applications. If you want to start up, decide very
early on, one or two industries you want to cater to and try to grow from
there. Be wise while choosing the right machine for your company, for every
application there are at least 3 to 4 companies manufacturing 3D printers
who have a reseller in India. Do thorough research before you actually invest
your money and acquire the printer, says Ijas.
Prateek has a word of advice for those wishing to get into 3D printing. He
says that a majority of hobby printers still have a very steep learning curve,
and maintenance issues with multiple points of failure which can cause
problems with prints. Hence investing time on the printer to understand what
can go wrong will go a long way for the long term health of a company that is
basing its entire existence on these printers. He also advices entrepreneurs,
to spend as much time with your machine as possible. Because that is what
will help you achieve near impossible prints with top quality, instead of
rushing to the market with your idea.
Conclusion
According to Gartner, consumers and companies will spend more than $600
million on 3-D printer-related products in 2014. Given the huge opportunities
that exist in the market and the rapid consolidation that is taking place, it is
certain that 3D printing will be adopted a lot more across industries. Added to
this is the fact that startups and entrepreneurs in India are seeing immense
potential and benefits in 3D printing technologies. It is only a matter of time

before a compact and low-cost 3D printer comes out of India that will become
a must-buy during Diwali for Indian households in the near future.
Featured picture credit: kurzweilai.net
451

Tags:3D Labs India3D Printer3D Printing Challenges in India3D Printing future in India3D Printing
Opportunities in India3D Printing startups in India3D Printing technology3D Systems3DifyAkshita
GaneshArvind NadigBrahma3Brahma3 AnvilFunding a 3D Printing Startup Ganesh KrishnanIjas
AbdullaInventus Advisory ServicesJatin SharmaJerry AlthafK GaneshLBD MakersNikhil VelpanurNitin
GandhiParag DholPrateek LohiaProtea MedicalRizwan HashimSagar ShahSAHAS SoftechSamkit
ShahShivani GuptaSohrab KothariTutorVistaWhat is 3D printingZynga

Vishal Makhija
Having worked in the IT industry for over 13 years primarily with
startups in the e learning domain, Vishal loves reading and writing
about them. He is particularly impressed with startups and
entrepreneurs who work on out-of-the-box business ideas. In his spare
time he loves to read, listen to music and cook. You can reach him at
vishal[dot]makhija[at]gmail.com.