Developed countries like US, Germany and various other European countries have contributed massively to the 3D printing ecosystem and the industry permeated into the society. But in developing countries like India, the technology stood at the fringes of society for a long time mainly due to the cost of 3D printers and due to lack of proper ecosystem. If we look at the recent developments, it becomes very clear that India is catching up with the big guys of 3D printing business. This opens up lots of opportunities to youngsters. There will be lots of 3D printing jobs in the market and people with right skill sets will have a good career growth.
Indian IT companies such as Infosys, Cognizant and Mindtree are few of the companies that have recently announced that they are working towards benefiting from the 3D printing technology. In an interview with the Hindu Business Line, R Chanrasekaran, the Executive Vice-Chairman of Cognizant India said, “Recently, I was reading about how 3D printers were being taken to Sudan for creating artificial limbs for war-affected people. For IT service companies, the possibilities are huge, especially in the areas of engineering and digitization, which are key ingredients in the creation of a 3D component.”
In this article we will discuss about various kinds of 3D printing jobs that will very soon be created in the 3D printing market in India.
3D Design Jobs:
3D printing depends totally on designers who have the talent to transform an idea into the 3D model which can then be 3D printed. Since 3D printing in India is in the growing phase there is a possibility of more job opportunities for 3D designers at any 3D printing firm. Apart from being a part of a company, designers can go in for freelancing as well as become job providers by becoming entrepreneurs. There are various designing softwares catering to specific design needs. These include Maya, Solidworks, SketchUp, Catia, ProE and so on. Mastering any of these softwares is a must for churning out good quality designs.
And in order to increase the chances of being hired by a 3D printing company it is necessary to obtain hands on experience in this technology. In other countries like US and Germany this technology has evolved to a great extent. Erol Gunduz, a professor at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies says, “For instance, recent graduate student designers and researchers who are familiar with 3D printing methods have the benefit of knowing how to use the technology within their design process and in supporting its usage within company initiatives. This gives them a significant advantage when looking for career opportunities within creative fields.
3D computer-aided design (CAD) modeling:
The main work in 3D printing is involved during the CAD modeling phase. The people who are experts in CAD software have the skill and the knowledge to convert an idea into a digitalized blueprint. This is the basic requirement for any 3D printer to be able to print a 3D printed object. As there are many companies in India that are thinking of incorporating 3D printing into their process there will be an increased demand in CAD modelers. In the other countries where 3D printing has flourished a lot there is an increased demand for CAD 3D modelers.
Research and Development
As we discussed in the earlier two paragraphs that very soon the Indian market will be offering jobs for product designers and CAD modelers, the market will also open up for far sighted and efficient research and development professionals. Companies would need professionals with good understanding of utilization of 3D printing for consumer products at a comparatively low price. With the help of the R&D professionals new areas of application of this technology can be unveiled.
India has just entered the 3D printing market and if a ground breaking application is to be disclosed then very soon we might see companies hiring such professionals for this uptight task!
Biological and Scientific Modeling
The contribution of 3D printing in the field of healthcare is unmatched. It has become a life saving technology. So there will be a need for more engineers, designers and modelers with biomedical or scientific background. In India 3D printing is yet to be used in the healthcare and scientific sector but very soon this will happen. As there are a lot of Indians who need prosthetics, organ replacements and so on, researchers as well as engineers in biological and scientific modeling area will get lot of job opportunities in India.
Construction Modeling:
The current construction industry in India uses 2D planning solutions like AutoCAD but as in other countries like China and US, India will very soon incorporate 3D printing into the planning as well as constructing phase. This shift from 2D to 3D will generate a job market for 3D modelers. These 3D models would give a better insight to the workers as well as the officials of the construction industry.
Education:
There are many organizations that are trying to spread this technology to the various schools, colleges and universities. So there is a need for people who have sufficient knowledge to teach others the basic concepts as well as the technicalities associated with 3D printing technology. In India, 3D printing courses at a huge scale are yet to be introduced in various colleges and universities unlike in USA where NYU-SCPS has recently launched a Certificate course in 3D Printing Rapid Prototyping.
Lawyers and Legal Professionals:
Since the maximum amount of piracy and copyrights issues arises in creative fields, 3D printing also faces such problems. In such situations professionals with adequate knowledge of law are needed, especially people who are well versed in the field of Intellectual Property Rights (IP).
In India every year there are thousands of law graduates who pass out of law colleges and look for jobs in courts and other corporate sectors. People with knowledge of IP ownership, scope of rights, licensing, fair use, international rights and other forms of IP protection can try in 3D printing companies.
Business Opportunities:
There are many people who do not like to work under anyone and are more interested in starting their own business. 3D printing offers ample opportunities to such individuals. A person can buy a 3D printer. If the person has some basic knowledge about 3D printing then he can start straight away start the company through the various websites or through the e-commerce market place.
Operation and administrative positions:
A 3D printing company cannot run alone on 3D designers and modelers there is a need for people who can take care of the various operations and administrative staff, analysts, finances, sales professionals as well as the retail employees.
These job opportunities have already filled up the jobs markets in the United States of America and other European countries as the 3D printing technology in these countries has evolved to a very advanced stage unlike India where this technology is still in the adolescent stage. In future, there are good opportunities for people with understanding of 3D printing technology to fill in the operations and administrative positions.
Hopefully in India too 3D printing will be successful in transforming lives!
Sources: http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5125-3d-printing-jobs.html
