How Laxmi Dental revolutionised digital dentistry in India
Founded in 2004, Laxmi Dental is a listed company with a presence in over 95 countries. The belief that technology could empower rather than replace skill helped Laxmi Dental evolve from a small lab in Mumbai into a digital powerhouse.
In the early 2000s, Sameer Merchant from Mumbai took over his family’s two-person dental lab. It was a modest setup started by his uncle, Rajesh Khakhar, along with a small team of technicians, limited clients, and minimal exposure to modern dentistry.
At that time, Indian dental labs still relied on manual craftsmanship. Crowns and bridges were made by hand, and the industry had barely scratched the surface of automation.
Seeing potential in him, Khakhar, now the chairperson and whole-time director of Laxmi Dental, encouraged Merchant to explore dentistry beyond India’s borders.
He trained in Germany, Japan, and the US, where he witnessed firsthand how digital technology was revolutionising dentistry. Clinics abroad were embracing CAD/CAM systems, intraoral scanners, and 3D printing, while India lagged far behind.
“I realised that if India waited for technology to arrive, we’d always be playing catch-up,” Merchant recalls. “We needed to build our own digital future.” And Laxmi Dental was officially registered in 2004.
In 2021, during Covid, with no external investors and no safety net, Merchant mortgaged his home to fund Laxmi Dental’s expansion—investing every rupee into technology, training, and process innovation. “It wasn’t about taking a gamble,” he says. “It was about the conviction that Indian dentistry could be global, digital, and proudly Made in India.”
Betting on digital before it was mainstream
Scepticism was high when Merchant introduced digital workflows to Indian dental clinics. Dentists were used to traditional impression methods and trusted manual craftsmanship until they experienced the precision and turnaround time of digital workflows.
“We introduced CAD/CAM software to improve the quality of dental prosthesis and later brought intraoral scanners. As a result, the intraoral scanners replaced the traditional manual impression process used in the market with a digital workflow that not only eliminated time-consuming manual steps but also provided greater accuracy,” explains Merchant.
He adds, “Education was key. We focused on hands-on training, demonstrations, and showing real results. Once dentists saw how it could transform their work, there was no turning back.”
The belief—that technology could empower rather than replace skill—helped Laxmi Dental evolve from a small lab in Mumbai into a digital powerhouse now.
Leading India’s dental-tech revolution
Today, Laxmi Dental is a listed company, employing over 1,800 professionals and serving 22,000+ clinics across India. Its operations span 95+ countries, and it offers a full suite of solutions—from aligners and paediatric dentistry to 3D printing and AI-powered diagnostics. In FY25, the company generated a revenue of Rs 239.1 crore.
“Dentistry isn’t about replacing people with machines. It’s about giving talented professionals the best tools to deliver better outcomes,” Merchant explains.
The company’s recent acquisition of healthtech startup AI Dent strengthened its position in AI-led automation and diagnostics. The move aligns with Laxmi Dental’s goal of embedding artificial intelligence across its value chain, from imaging and analysis to real-time treatment planning.
AI Dent develops advanced AI solutions for dental diagnostics. Through this acquisition, Laxmi Dental aims to integrate AI-powered X-ray image analysis and other dental diagnostic products into its offerings, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and treatment planning.
AI Dent functions as a technology solutions provider, complementing Laxmi Dental’s vision of advancing tech-led oral healthcare.
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Built to last a century
Merchant often says he’s building for the long term, a company that will outlive him. “I want this to be a 100-year brand that makes India synonymous with dental innovation,” he says.
Laxmi Dental continues to invest in education and skill-building. “Through collaborations with leading dental institutions and global technology partners, the company has trained thousands of young professionals and dentists in digital workflows, implantology, and aligner technology,” says Merchant.
The goal, he says, is not just growth, but to elevate the quality of care across the ecosystem.
Recently, Motilal Oswal upgraded Laxmi Dental’s stock, reflecting growing investor confidence in the company’s fundamentals and long-term roadmap.
Edited by Suman Singh