Lohia Aerospace and Massivit Bring Large-Format 3D Printing to India's Aerospace Sector

Lohia Aerospace Systems has signed a strategic collaboration with Massivit to install India's first commercial large-format 3D printing platform for composite tooling and aerospace components. The installation will go up at Lohia's Kanpur facility, with the company planning to invest between $8 million and $10 million over the next two years.

The platform, called RapidWings, is designed to produce composite molds and manufacturing tools in days rather than weeks. Lohia says the technology can cut tooling lead times by up to 90 percent and lower production costs for customers by as much as 50 percent. The company expects to deploy eight to ten printers initially, each capable of producing one to two complete sets of composite tools per day.

The partnership gives Lohia Aerospace exclusive rights to deploy Massivit's platform in India's aerospace and defense sectors, including applications for UAVs and manned aircraft. The company will handle manufacturing, finishing, quality assurance, and delivery through its Kanpur facilities, which hold ISO 9001, AS9100D, and NADCAP certifications.

Why it matters

India's aerospace manufacturing ecosystem has historically depended on imported composite tooling. Large-format additive manufacturing changes that equation by letting producers print tools on demand, close to assembly lines. For a country trying to expand domestic defense and civil aviation output, that's a meaningful shift.

The economics are worth watching too. Each composite tool made on the platform is expected to cost between $10,000 and $20,000. Imported equivalents carry longer lead times and higher logistics costs. If Lohia can hit its targets, the operation could replace a sizable slice of India's imported tooling market while creating 60 to 100 skilled jobs.

What comes next

Lohia is already expanding its Kanpur footprint, adding 250,000 square feet of production space to its existing 80,000-square-foot facility. The additional printers and staff should come online in line with that expansion. For Massivit, the deal represents a strong reference customer in a market where large-format composite AM is still relatively new.