This article was taken from the April 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Bangalore-based entrepreneur Nikhil Velpanur saw a 3D printer in action for the first time in August 2012. Three months later he launched the Brahma3 Anvil, India's first desktop 3D printer. "Right now, 3D printing is practically non-existent in emerging economies," says Velpanur, 30, a 2009 TED Fellow. "But if you can get this tool into homes and schools, the potential for creativity is massive."
Along with fellow entrepreneur Arvind Nadig, 31, Velpanur created a team that could fulfil their ambition to "build things that would change the world". The duo named the company Brahma3, after the Hindu god of creation. Priced at $1,599 (£1,000), the Anvil can print objects up to 24cm<sup>3</sup> with a resolution of 50-100 microns, equal to that of the MakerBot Replicator2 ($2,199).
In late October 2013, Velpanur and Nadig launched the Anvil at the INK conference in Kochi, Kerala. A first round of venture-capital funding followed and the pair began shipping late last year.
But it's not just about sales. Velpanur wants to churn out low-cost equipment as well. "That's a big focus," he says. "Where 3D printing is out of reach, we will deliver Brahma3."
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
