Lohia Aerospace Systems has announced plans to invest between $8 million and $10 million over the next two years to establish India’s first commercial large-format additive manufacturing facility dedicated to aerospace composite tooling, Economic Times reported.

The initiative is aimed at reducing reliance on imported production tools and meeting the growing demand from India’s defence sector.

The aerospace manufacturer signed a memorandum of understanding with Israel’s Massivit to introduce the RapidWings large-format additive manufacturing technology to India. The new facility will be located at Lohia’s Kanpur plant and will begin with an expansion of 250,000 square feet alongside its existing manufacturing unit.

The RapidWings technology enables aerospace moulds and production tools to be manufactured in days instead of weeks. This innovation can reduce manufacturing cycles by up to 90 per cent and cut tooling costs by as much as 50 per cent, according to the company.

Lohia plans to deploy eight to ten large-format additive manufacturing systems over time, with each system capable of producing one to two tooling sets per day.

The project is expected to generate between 60 and 100 skilled jobs, supporting India’s rapidly expanding aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem. Composite tooling has long been a bottleneck in aerospace production due to lengthy lead times, and this facility aims to address that challenge by accelerating delivery timelines and expanding production capacity.

Chairman and Managing Director Anurag Lohia emphasised that reducing dependence on imported tooling is essential if India is to scale indigenous aerospace manufacturing. He noted that the new technology will allow the company to meet delivery schedules more efficiently while boosting overall capacity.

Under the alliance, Lohia Aerospace will manufacture, finish, and certify tooling through its AS9100D and NADCAP-certified facilities. The company will also hold exclusive rights to deploy Massivit’s RapidWings platform for India’s aerospace and defence sector, covering both unmanned aerial vehicles and manned aircraft programs.

Massivit’s Chief Business Officer Ziki Kuly stated that the partnership would help localise production of mission-critical aerospace tooling for one of the world’s fastest-growing defence markets. The facility is also expected to serve composite manufacturers in other industrial sectors, supporting India’s broader push to build domestic capabilities in advanced manufacturing and progressively replace imported tooling.

The investment reflects a wider trend in India’s aerospace industry, where companies are increasingly adopting advanced manufacturing technologies to meet the government’s push for self-reliance in defence production. By combining international expertise with domestic manufacturing, Lohia Aerospace is positioning itself as a key player in India’s aerospace modernisation drive.

Agencies