“India’s manufacturing push through initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and the China+1 strategy is boosting the Die and Mould sector by increasing domestic production demand, attracting global OEM investments, encouraging tooling localisation, and driving capacity expansion and technology upgrades to meet higher quality and export standards,” says Subin Vadakkiniyil, Director, Helli Moulds. This interview was taken for DMI 2026.
Key Trends, Challenges, and Growth Opportunities
The Indian Die and Mould Industry is currently driven by strong demand from automotive (including EVs), electronics, and consumer goods sectors, supported by government initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and increasing adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, but faces challenges such as high capital investment, skilled labour shortages, raw material price volatility, and quality standard gaps, while by 2026 it is expected to grow significantly through supply chain diversification away from China, rising exports, additive manufacturing adoption, digitalisation, and improved global competitiveness.
Sectors Driving Demand for Dies and Moulds
The automotive sector, including EVs, is the primary driver of demand for dies and moulds, with growing needs for lightweight components, complex geometries, and high-precision parts. These trends create opportunities for the industry to develop advanced tooling solutions, improve manufacturing efficiency, and support faster production cycles across high-volume applications.
India’s Manufacturing Push Impact
India’s manufacturing push through initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and the China+1 strategy is boosting the Die and Mould sector by increasing domestic production demand, attracting global OEM investments, encouraging tooling localisation, and driving capacity expansion and technology upgrades to meet higher quality and export standards.
Innovations Shaping Competitiveness
The die and mould industry’s competitiveness is being shaped by several key innovations, including additive manufacturing for rapid prototyping and conformal cooling, advanced CNC automation, AI-driven design and predictive maintenance, simulation tools for mould flow analysis, IoT-enabled smart manufacturing, and integrated CAD/CAM systems. These technologies work together to enhance precision, reduce lead times, and lower production costs.
Role of Precision Initiatives
Precision manufacturing and talent development initiatives help the Die and Mould industry meet global quality standards, strengthen innovation and technical capabilities, build a skilled workforce, and enhance competitiveness. These efforts collectively enable expansion into high-value domestic and international markets.
Past DMI Exhibitions Contribution
Participating in past DMI exhibitions has driven growth in the tooling ecosystem by helping companies showcase capabilities, generate leads, and enhance brand visibility. These events also build OEM and supplier partnerships, facilitate technical knowledge exchange, and foster collaborations that support innovation and market expansion.
DMI 2026 Platform Value
DMI 2026 provides a strategic platform for the Die and Mould industry to showcase advanced capabilities, precision, and innovation to domestic and global customers. It helps build partnerships, generate export opportunities, and reinforce India’s position as a competitive global tooling hub.
Products and Technologies at DMI 2026
We are planning to showcase our in-house manufactured mould parts across automotive, luggage, household, toys, and piping applications. These components highlight our complete manufacturing capabilities and precision engineering expertise for diverse industry needs.
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