HYDERABAD: 3D printing heralds a big business opportunity for small and medium enterprises. Industry insiders estimate the size of the sector at Rs 1,500 crore even at a modest rate and growing at 30-50 per cent annually.
“3D printing is three decades old but it has been gaining prominence over the past two-three years in India as the patents started expiring globally and the technology becoming available for all. We get orders mostly from the healthcare sector and also requests for prototypes to be used in manufacturing,” said Prudhvi Reddy, founder of think3D, a Hyderabad-based 3D printing firm.
Right now, 3D printing is mostly used for low-volume, custom-made products, with even many start-ups using it to prepare prototypes and give a concrete form to their ideas. Seeing the potential in 3D printing, even academic institutions are coming up with dedicated courses on the subject.
“The advantage of 3D printing is its cost-effectiveness. 3D printing provides promising growth opportunity for new entrepreneurs but they should be patient to see rewards and passionate about the technology,” said Srinivasa Prakash Regalla, who heads a research on ‘manufacturing artificial limbs using 3D printing technology’ at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad campus.