India National Strategy for Additive Manufacturing Update

India is rapidly strengthening its Additive Manufacturing (AM) ecosystem under the National Strategy for Additive Manufacturing (NSAM), launched by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in February 2022. Aligned with the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat frameworks, the initial strategy aimed to capture 5% of the global 3D printing market, contribute nearly $1 billion to national GDP, and train one lakh workers. Having successfully surpassed several baseline goals, the initiative has trained over 1.54 lakh personnel, supported 56 start-ups, and fostered 65 indigenous technologies spanning specialized materials, digital design processes, and advanced printing equipment across seven dedicated Development and Deployment Centres. These domestic AM capabilities are finding critical applications across high-tech sectors such as aerospace, defense, healthcare, electronics, and construction. Notable milestones include space start-up Agnikul Cosmos launching the Agnibaan SOrTeD rocket featuring a 3D-printed single-piece semi-cryogenic engine, alongside widespread military adoption for operational infrastructure and maintenance. Building on these achievements, the upcoming rollout of NSAM 2.0—highlighted at the second National Additive Manufacturing Symposium and forthcoming technology showcases—will focus on intellectual property generation, driving commercialization, lowering equipment costs, expanding defense integration, and deepening global research partnerships.