Mumbai, Nov. 14, 2025 – From a modest two-person setup in Mumbai, Laxmi Dental has emerged as a pioneer in modern dental laboratories, revolutionizing India’s dental industry through digital innovation.
In the early 2000s, Sameer Merchant took over the family-run lab founded by his uncle, Rajesh Khakhar. At the time, Indian dental labs relied heavily on manual craftsmanship, producing crowns and bridges by hand.
Inspired by international practices, Merchant trained in Germany, Japan, and the US, witnessing how CAD/CAM systems, intraoral scanners, and 3D printing were reshaping dentistry abroad.
“I realized that if India waited for technology to arrive, we’d always be playing catch-up,” Merchant said. Motivated by this vision, he mortgaged his home in 2004 to fund Laxmi Dental’s expansion, investing in technology, training, and process innovation without external backing.
Merchant faced skepticism when introducing digital workflows. Traditional impression methods dominated Indian clinics, and many dentists initially resisted automation.
Laxmi Dental countered this with hands-on training and live demonstrations, proving that digital workflows enhanced precision and reduced turnaround times. “Once dentists saw the results, there was no turning back,” Merchant recalled.
Today, Laxmi Dental is a publicly listed company with over 1,800 employees, serving more than 22,000 clinics across India and operations in 95+ countries. Its offerings include aligners, pediatric dentistry, 3D printing, and AI-powered diagnostics, generating Rs 239.1 crore in revenue for FY25.
The company recently acquired AI Dent, a healthtech startup specializing in AI-based dental diagnostics. This move strengthens Laxmi Dental’s push toward AI integration across imaging, analysis, and treatment planning.
“Dentistry isn’t about replacing people with machines. It’s about giving talented professionals the best tools to deliver better outcomes,” Merchant said.
Laxmi Dental continues to focus on education and skill-building, training thousands of young professionals in digital workflows, implantology, and aligner technology.
The company’s long-term vision is clear: to make India a global hub for dental innovation. Investor confidence is growing, exemplified by a recent stock upgrade from Motilal Oswal, reflecting optimism in Laxmi Dental’s fundamentals and strategic roadmap.
