India’s private space-tech sector just took a giant leap. Agnikul Cosmos, the Chennai-based startup known for pioneering 3D-printed rocket engines, has inaugurated the country’s first large-format additive manufacturing facility for aerospace and rockets.
The state-of-the-art hub brings together design, simulation, 3D printing, post-processing and finishing under one roof — cutting rocket-building costs by up to 50% and slashing production time from months to days.
Game-Changing Scale
For the first time in India, rocket components as large as one metre can be 3D printed, making possible designs once considered unachievable. This means fully finished, flight-ready engines and parts in days instead of months — a breakthrough for India’s growing commercial launch industry.
Leadership Speaks
“By developing not just printing capacity but full-scale machines in-house, we’re bringing space transportation systems closer to reality,”
— Srinath Ravichandran, Co-founder & CEO, Agnikul Cosmos
“This facility is a foundation for a self-sustaining, globally competitive space industry in India,”
— Moin SPM, Co-founder & COO, Agnikul Cosmos
Next-Level Technology
The facility also boasts an indigenously designed de-powdering machine for flawless surface finish and space-grade quality — a key post-processing system developed entirely in-house.
Agnikul already holds a US patent for single-piece 3D-printed rocket engines. With the new setup, engines measuring a full metre can now be produced, delivering seven times the thrust of earlier designs.
Why It Matters
Faster Innovation: Flight-ready hardware in days.
Lower Costs: Up to 50% cheaper than conventional builds.
Make in India Space-Tech: Strengthens domestic manufacturing, reduces import dependency.
Future-Ready: Positions India as a global leader in affordable, high-quality space hardware.
From Startup to Space Leader
Founded in 2017 by IIT Madras alumni Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM, along with Prof. SR Chakravarthy, Agnikul was the first Indian company to sign an agreement with ISRO. Backed by global investors including Celesta Capital and Rocketship.vc, the company has raised $45 million so far.
Agnikul made history last year by launching its technology demonstrator rocket Agnibaan SOrTeD from India’s first private launchpad at Sriharikota — also a first-of-its-kind hybrid gas-liquid fuel launch.
A Leap for India’s Space Future
This new manufacturing hub is more than a facility — it’s a bet on the future. It gives India’s private space ecosystem the ability to match global benchmarks of quality, speed, and affordability, paving the way for more launches, more satellites, and more space-based services in the coming decade.
