As far as technologies go, 3D printing is right at the forefront. Ironically, it would be wrong to think of it as just ‘technology’. 3D printing is actually at the beautiful cusp of design, technology and manufacturing, and has begun reshaping the way the world makes things. In India, the 3D printing movement is in its nascence, but a clutch of brands have sprung up in this exciting field. Global 3D Labs is one such. Driven by a strong vision, this young venture based in Bangalore is trying to take the true power of this technology to various segments of the market. In this interview Gopal Krishna, Co-Founder, takes questions from Ganesh V for MindYourBusiness on the why, what and how of his venture.
 
You became an entrepreneur in college itself. How come?
 
In my first year of college in Manipal, I set up a college magazine called ‘Chill Maadi’. I then hopped on to 4 other ventures - a merchandise company, an events management company, a software consulting company and a Quick Service Restaurant. By third year of college, all these ventures were pretty successful. But, I wanted to do more. I wanted to create something with a larger impact; to solve a bigger problem. It was then when I stumbled across 3D Printing. I got hooked to it and started this company with a few friends.
 
When did you set up your current venture? What brand name do you use? And, what do you offer to the market?
 
We operate under the brand name ‘Global 3D Labs’, though the name of our company is ‘Additive Manufacturing India Private Limited’. We manufacture, sell and service 3D printers. Apart from that, we are active in R&D on 3D printing. We started work in August 2013 and after a year in stealth mode, officially set things up in September 2014.
 
Tell us a bit about your co-founders.
 
I have 3 co-founders. Aviral, Manish and Shreyas. While Aviral was my co-founder in my earlier ventures, Manish and Shreyas were running a software company before this.
 
Why did you choose this particular domain for your business? Most people would think it is an esoteric field to be in.
 
Initially, we chose this field because of our sheer fascination with it. But, as we got deeper into this, we realized there is so much left to explore in this field; so many technical challenges that are yet to be conquered. There is great scope for bringing down price too, making this affordable for more consumers. We see 3D printing not just as a technology, but as a symbol of democracy in manufacturing - where common people like you and me create what they want. With the kind of customization it allows, this is a whole new way of manufacturing things. The enormous power of the technology is what has kept us going.
 
What was your frame of mind when you decided to become entrepreneurs? What kind of questions and fears came to your mind?
 
We were definitely scared about the future. Coming from middle-class families, we had responsibilities and hence, certain reservations about plunging in. But, these fears pushed us to work hard and innovate. Fortunately, over a period of time, our parents and friends also got around to the idea and started appreciating our work. Soon, we understood that the Indian market is highly competitive, but if approached in the right manner, it can be rewarding.
 
Did you study the market first before setting up your company?
 
Yes, we did. We did extensive research on the internet. We followed this up with an in-depth study of certain segments of the markets for which 3D printing would solve a lot of problems – e.g., labour- intensive and time-consuming prototyping. We approached several manufacturers to further understand their need and the manufacturing ecosystem.
 
There other companies in India that make 3D printers. How, if at all, is your company different from them?
 
There are other companies making 3D printers in India and doing a good job of it. But, I firmly believe that we are different from them in the true sense of our vision. We tend to look forward a couple of years, not just in respect to the company, but also how the market will adopt this incredible technology. I believe 3D printers will be the next personal computers and bicycles - there will come a time when every home has a 3D printer. And, to realise that dream, we are constantly pushing the envelope. We want to make Global 3D Labs the one-stop shop for 3D printers.
 
How have the co-founders split responsibilities?
 
Each co-founder has take a certain set of functions and manages those with the help of a small team. While I manage Marketing and Sales, Aviral manages the entire technical and R&D end. Manish takes care of the production and delivery of printers, and Shreyas manages the logistics and finances.
 
What do you co-founders talk about, apart from work? How important is co-founder chemistry?
 
Aviral and I are from Manipal Institute of Technology and Shreyas and Manish are from Mangalore Institute of Technology. We have known each other for years now and have several mutual friends. We understand each other very well, and I think that’s very important. Co-founders need to clear and honest with each other and should be on the same wavelength about the company and its future. Apart from work, we talk about our friends, how soon college ended, how life would’ve panned out had we taken up a regular and anything and everything under the sun.
 
What kind of culture are you trying to build?
 
Our culture fosters hard work, fun and personal growth. We consider Global 3D Labs to be a customer-obsessed company, evidenced by service and the various tweaks and improvements we have made to the machine. We share a common goal of providing the best product to the customer. We encourage our team to spend a certain amount of their time on the problems they think they can solve in this ecosystem. We believe this is is important for their personal growth.
 
Considering the amount of work a startup demands, we have tried to make the workplace fun. From team lunches to weekend mixers, we try to keep people motivated and happy. Eventually, as the company grows I would like to maintain the same start-up temperament.
 
We find a number of Indian youngsters becoming entrepreneurs. What's good about this? And, what should they watch out for?
 
I think it’s incredible how the number of startups by Indian youngsters has soared over the years. It takes a lot of courage to start something one believes in. This crop of entrepreneurs will certainly change the way things function in our country and become great role models for the generations to follow.

Though before setting up shop they should study and try to understand if their product is doing any good for the people, if their creation will help people in the longer run. A startup should never be setup with the sole purpose of earning money, since that setup will lack passion and true determination.