Protolabs, a global leader in digital manufacturing and rapid prototyping, announced plans to establish a Global Capability Center (GCC) in India to expand its engineering and digital operations. The initiative aims to accelerate the company’s innovation agenda and AI-driven transformation, supporting its global operations and enhancing customer experience.
Digital Transformation and AI Expansion
The India GCC will play a key role in Protolabs’ broader push to unify its online customer platforms and leverage automation, AI, and proprietary software. CEO Suresh Krishna highlighted that Protolabs is launching ProDesk, a unified digital experience to streamline quoting, design, and ordering processes for factory and network-fulfilled orders. This platform aims to reduce friction and improve efficiency in how customers interact with the company.
Protolabs will also deploy smarter pricing and sourcing algorithms, and continue rolling out customer-facing digital tools throughout 2026 to support a seamless manufacturing journey.
Strategic Reorganization
To support its digital and AI initiatives, Protolabs has reorganized its technology group under Chief Technology and AI Officer Mark Kermesch, consolidating product management within technology to reduce internal silos and accelerate development.
Global Operations and Market Focus
Alongside its India GCC, Protolabs is refocusing its European operations following a slowdown caused by macroeconomic conditions and internal complexities. Growth in demand is being fueled by innovation-driven sectors, including aerospace, defense, robotics, drones, satellites, and data center infrastructure, where engineers rely on rapid prototyping and short production runs.
Financial Performance
Protolabs reported Q4 revenue of $136.5 million, up 12.1% YoY, with CNC machining revenue growing 25%. Full fiscal 2025 revenue reached $533.1 million, up 6.4% YoY. The company emphasized that operational savings will be reinvested in digital and operational improvements in 2026, rather than near-term margin expansion.
Production Capabilities and Certifications
Protolabs continues to expand production capabilities. Its U.S. injection molding operation achieved ISO 13485 certification, allowing the company to engage in medical device production programs with traceability, validation, and automated inspection.
Conclusion
Protolabs’ establishment of a GCC in India represents a strategic move to position the company as a digitally driven manufacturing platform. The center will support global operations, accelerate AI initiatives, and strengthen customer experience, marking a significant step in the company’s evolution beyond rapid prototyping toward end-to-end digital manufacturing solutions.
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