On Thursday, February 24th, the Government of India unveiled its National Strategy on Additive Manufacturing. This much-awaited India’s 3D printing policy aspires to achieve lofty goals such as contributing 5% to the global AM market with a target to add nearly US$1 Bn to the national GDP by 2025.
In short, these goals have defined India’s additive manufacturing journey for the foreseeable future. It also aspires to embody the tenets of ‘Make in India’ and ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat Abhiyan,’ which advocate and promote self-reliance through technological innovation and transformation.
In this article, we simplify and explain the core ideas and action plans of the Indian government aims to ensure the establishment of a long-term additive manufacturing ecosystem in India.
The policy document is released and is available for download on the MeitY website.
Key Goals of India’s 3D Printing Policy
- To establish India as a global hub for additive manufacturing
- To develop and safeguard India’s AM intellectual property
The government will focus on promoting the ease of adoption of AM in India by introducing policy interventions on a regular basis that provide:
- enhancing manufacturing capabilities and encouraging foreign technology manufacturing in India,
- encouraging and incentivizing indigenous manufacturers who promote a sustainable AM eco-system on a national and global scale,
- encouraging machine, material, and AM-produced goods and services export and re-export
- discouraging imports for the domestic AM market
Strategy Outcomes
The strategy aims to increase India’s AM market share to 5% of the global market by 2025, with a goal of adding nearly $1 billion to the GDP. Growth will be achieved by focusing on the below targets set by the policy.
- The Indian government intends to target 50 new India-specific technologies for machines, materials, software, and so on.
- Creation of 100 New Startups
- Develop 500 Products
- Establish 10 existing and new manufacturing sectors
- Generate 1 Lakh new skilled manpower
- Raise awareness about the use of AM products
Key Sector Specific Technical Challenges
The strategy would address the following key sector-specific technical challenges in order to make 3D printing economically viable for MSMEs:
- Properties of the materials
- Limited types of options on AM suitable materials
- Process technology and performance
- Limited in-process, in-situ monitoring mechanism
- Qualification & certification of AM processes and parts
- Part accuracy
- Surface finish of contoured surfaces
- Fabrication speed
- Build volumes/part size
- Data formats
- AM Standards
Recommendations from the 3D Printing Policy
The policy also includes a slew of recommendations related to establishment of AM centres, talent development, IP creation and funding, partnerships, incentives, innovation clusters, and much more.
- Establishment of a dedicated agency, such as a National Additive Manufacturing Centre, to spearhead the national initiative (NAMC)
- Enhancing Technology Leadership through Talent, R&D, and Supply Chain Development
- Government can include AM technologies under popular schemes like:
- Credit-Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme for Technology Improvement,
- Lean Manufacturing Competitiveness Scheme,
- Technology and Quality Improvement Support for SMEs,
- Software Product Innovation and Development Scheme, and Production Linked Incentive Scheme for all AM products, regardless of sector
- Other incentives and support may be extended by the government to promote and accelerate the adoption of AM technologies in India, such as electricity tariff benefits, grants, single window systems, plug-and-play facilities, long-term tax benefits, and many more.
Conclusion
The Indian government has developed a comprehensive 3D printing policy. Overall, the policy appears to be centred around very specific objectives. The policy also notes that it will be regularly upgraded to keep pace with the evolving technology.
We have not yet been able to connect with Indian industry leaders to take their comments on the 3D printing policy as it was only launched yesterday, but we will be speaking with them and bringing you insights on what the industry feels about the national strategy.
In case you are interested in learning more about the Indian 3D printing industry, check out our overview of 3D printing in India article for a detailed understanding.
About Manufactur3D: Manufactur3D is an online magazine on 3D Printing. Visit our Indian Scenario page for more updates on 3D Printing News from India. To stay up-to-date about the latest happenings in the 3D printing world, like us on Facebook or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.
