MTECH on CD is the CD-ROM version of the bibliographic database 'Metalworking Database' developed by the National Information Centre for Machine Tools and Production Engineering at CMTI (Central Manufacturing Technology Institute, Bangalore). The database has been developed under the active support of NISSAT. The CD-ROM publication, a joint venture between CMTI and Informatics (India) Pvt Ltd, was launched on January 5, 1998 at the CMTI auditorium. The launch was presided over by Dr. A.Lahiri, Advisor, NISSAT, DSIR, Goverment of India, New Delhi.

Mr. S. Vasantha Kumar, Director, CMTI, welcomed and introduced the Chief Guest Mr. Som Mittal, Managing Director of M/s. Digital Equipment (India) Ltd. and the Chairman for Karnataka Council of CII, and Dr. Lahiri to the audience. In his address, Mr. Vasantha Kumar emphasised that for any endeavour there is a dream which is realised by the driving force of the people. He said that Mr. Sathyanarayan of Informatics (India) has been striving for the past couple of years to materialise the dream of bringing up the CD-ROM of the Metalworking database. He also appreciated all the people who are involved in that project in CMTI.

Mr. N.V. Sathyanarayana, Managing Director, Informatics (India) Pvt. Ltd. made a presentation about the product MTECH on CD and explained its features. The database provides reference to the 20 years of technical literature stored in the CMTI library covering 150 periodicals in addition to reports, conference proceedings, etc. The database is well indexed and also provides concise abstracts. In this product development, four organisations are involved: CMTI as data provider, NISSAT as continous supporter in developing this database, Silver Platter Information, USA, who licensed their industry famous software SPIRS for publishing MTECH on CD and the Informatics (India) Pvt. Ltd. who published the MTECH on CD.

Mr. Som Mittal relased the product MTECH on CD and delivered the Chief Guest's address. Mr. Mittal elaborated the way Internet has changed the methods of information handling by citing several examples including that of Digital Equipment (India) Ltd. He highlighted the major change like anywhere anytime concept of information handling and the way it has influenced the business processes. He also pointed out the drastic reduction in information accessing cost and wished that MTECH on CD database will also get on to the Internet and get a global usage.

In his presidential address, Dr. Lahiri reviewed his association with CMTI since 1976. He recalled how NICMAP and other information centres made a beginning on self sustaining basis and observed the changes in the functioning of the centre since then. He observed that Internet is changing the life style of world leaders and the situation in India is different. Though the users of Internet are increasing in India it is still a far cry for Indian common community with the existing inadequate telecom system.

Talking on the production of database on CD, Dr. Lahiri stated that NISSAT has been continuously promoting development of database and the database networks. He said that there are good number of networks in the country without enough database on them. He appreciated that CMTI has taken the responsibility of development of the Metalworking database with a strength of 75,000 records. He also pointed out that there are few parallels in the country such as Leather Abstracts and Silkworm Database, and that some of these databases have the potential of getting global usage. Dr. Lahiri concluded his address by congratulating the people involved for their contributions in developing this database.