Chennai-headquartered Spacetech startup Agnikul Cosmos on Monday announced the commissioning of a state-of-the-art additive manufacturing facility dedicated to aerospace and rocket systems. The facility introduces a fully integrated ecosystem – covering design, simulation, printing, post-processing, and finishing to enhance quality, reliability, and supply chain resilience, while lowering the cost of building for space by 50 per cent.
The facility also enables 3D printing of aerospace and rocket components up to one metre in height. By making it possible to produce parts that were previously considered difficult for additive manufacturing, Agnikul can now deliver fully finished, flight-ready hardware within a few days – significantly accelerating development timelines while expanding what can be achieved through 3D printing.
Complementing the printing capacity is an indigenously designed & developed de-powdering machine, an important post-processing system that ensures flawless surface finish and space-grade quality on additively manufactured parts. Designed & developed in-house, the machine reduces external dependencies and ensures consistent quality.
“We decided to have our own machines to gain control over the quality and processes. At the same time, it gives us the freedom to not be dependent on others,” Moin SPM, Co-founder & COO of Agnikul Cosmos told The Hindu. “Earlier, we were sourcing these machines from Germany and other countries. Now, we are focusing not just on manufacturing but also on in-house design,” he added. “All this is being done at the facility in Taramani, which is spread across 10,000 sq ft”, Mr. Moin said.
“Agnikul was started with the goal of making space available to everyone. One way to do that is build capability that allows us to advance rocket manufacturing with precision while also focusing on quality,” said Srinath Ravichandran, Co-founder & CEO of Agnikul Cosmos. “By developing not just printing capacity but also full scale machines in-house, we are equipping ourselves to build space transportation systems faster, bringing us one step closer to taking Agnikul’s innovations & our customers to space”.
Agnikul holds a US patent for single-piece 3D-printed rocket engines. This facility will allow the company to print engines measuring one metre and deliver seven times the thrust of its earlier designs. With this facility now commissioned, the company can manufacture these engines in just days, and that too inhouse – accelerating development cycles and enabling rapid innovation at scale.
Last year, this IIT Madras-incubated startup launched the world’s first rocket — Agnibaan Sub Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD) — with a single piece 3D-printed engine from Sriharikota. Agnibaan SOrTeD is India’s first launch from a private launchpad, called ‘Dhanush’, established by Agnikul. It is also India’s first semi-cryogenic engine-powered rocket launch and the world’s first single piece 3D-printed engine designed and built indigenously. To a query on the learnings from the launch, Mr. Moin said, “Building a rocket is different, and launching a rocket is different. This time, we are focusing on the ground system as well, so that we do not encounter any issues. We are being more cautious this time.”
Agnikul is backed by leading global and domestic investors, including Celesta Capital, Rocketship.vc, Artha Venture Fund, Artha Select Fund, Mayfield India, Pi Ventures, and Speciale Invest, with a total capital raise of $45 million to date.
Published – September 23, 2025 05:30 am IST
