- Russia has supplied India with a high-end 3D printer for aerospace component manufacturing
- The RusBeam 2800 uses electron beam additive manufacturing for large metal parts production
- ISRO may use the technology for human spaceflight and lunar missions like Gaganyaan and Chandrayaan
India's all-weather friend Russia has won a global competitive bid and has supplied a high-end 3D printer that can print everything except currency notes, but India hopes to use it to make quality parts for its upcoming human space flights and moon missions.
India's ambitious human spaceflight and lunar exploration programmes could soon fly with critical components made using advanced Russian 3D printing technology.
Russian state-owned nuclear and technology giant Rosatom has successfully supplied and commissioned a heavy-duty industrial 3D printer in India, a machine that ISRO says will significantly enhance its ability to rapidly manufacture large and complex metal components for missions such as Gaganyaan, Chandrayaan, and the proposed Bharatiya Antariksh Space Station.
Rosatom's Fuel Division, which leads the corporation's additive manufacturing business, has supplied the equipment known as the RusBeam 2800. Based on Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing (EBAM) technology, the printer will be used to manufacture metal parts for India's aerospace sector. The contract was awarded through an international competitive tender, underscoring Rosatom's emergence as a global leader in industrial-scale additive manufacturing.
NDTV had seen in 2025 a similar large-scale electron beam 3D printer during a visit to Russia last year, where Rosatom showcased how such systems could produce massive aerospace-grade components as single-piece structures, reducing the need for welding and assembly. The deployment of comparable technology in India now signals a major step toward bringing that capability directly into ISRO's production ecosystem.
"These 3D printing units are so advanced that they can print anything except currency notes, which only the federal bank does," said Ilya Vladimirovich Kavelashvili, director, Additive Manufacturing Business Unit, at Rosatom State Corporation in Moscow. 3D printing isn't science fiction any longer.
For ISRO, the acquisition represents not just another machine, but a strategic capability upgrade at a time when India is preparing for long-duration human spaceflight and more ambitious deep-space missions. According to the Indian space agency, the EBAM system opens the door to producing large aerospace components faster, lighter, and with far greater material efficiency.
India's IIT Madras-incubated start-up Agnikul Cosmos Pvt. Limited has already deployed a 3D printer, which it uses to make small rocket engines, including cryogenic engine components.
"The high deposition rate and vacuum-controlled environment of the EBAM machine from Rosatom represent a significant leap in ISRO's capability to fabricate large-scale, near-net-shape components from advanced titanium alloys, super alloys, and refractory alloys," said Dr. Vessangi Anilkumar, Deputy General Manager at the ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, and head of its Additive Manufacturing Research and Development Center.
By drastically reducing lead times for complex aerospace structures, the technology could transform how mission-critical hardware is produced. "By integrating this critical technology, we can drastically reduce lead times for aerospace structures while ensuring the material integrity required for the extreme conditions of space," Dr. Anilkumar said. He added that the system would be "a cornerstone in achieving the rapid prototyping and production goals essential for our future orbital infrastructure and deep-space missions like Gaganyaan, Bharatiya Antariksh Space Station, and Chandrayaan missions."
The RusBeam 2800 now holds the distinction of being India's largest 3D printer for electron-beam wire deposition operating under vacuum. Custom-built for the Indian client, the machine is operated using software developed by Rosatom. It is capable of producing parts up to 2.8 metres in height and weighing as much as four tonnes, including components with complex geometries that are difficult or impossible to manufacture using conventional machining or casting methods.
Its productivity is one of its defining strengths. With a print speed of up to 50 millimetres per second, the system can fabricate a 50-kilogram metal part in just five hours. The printer supports a wide range of materials essential for space and aerospace applications, including titanium-based, nickel-based, and cobalt-chrome alloys, all of which are used in environments requiring high strength, heat resistance, and structural reliability.
Rosatom has framed the deal as part of a broader strategic partnership between India and Russia that now extends beyond nuclear energy into advanced manufacturing and space technologies. Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said the project reflects the deepening technological cooperation highlighted during the December 2025 summit between President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Rosatom is making a pivotal contribution to the strategic technological partnership between Russia and India," Likhachev said. "Following the December 2025 summit of our leaders, Vladimir Putin and Narendra Modi, their joint statement highlighted the prospects of cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy and space, including plans to deepen cooperation on non-energy nuclear applications and new non-nuclear products."
Likhachev stated that Rosatom's success in the tender stemmed from its ability to provide more than just equipment. "We won this tender offering not only cutting-edge Russian hardware but also our technological expertise, materials, and service, all tailored to the customer's requirements," Likhachev said. He also indicated that talks are already underway for expanded collaboration, including further supplies, joint research and development in additive manufacturing, and the possible localisation of equipment manufacturing in India.
Rosatom says its export offer is built around a fully integrated additive manufacturing ecosystem, combining proprietary hardware and software with materials, services, and turnkey technology centres. This approach, the company says, will form the backbone of future cooperation with international partners.
For India's space programme, the implications are far-reaching. As ISRO prepares for human spaceflight under Gaganyaan and expands its lunar exploration under Chandrayaan, the ability to rapidly design, print, and qualify large metal components could reshape how spacecraft and launch systems are built, tested, and flown.
