SDRC is a leader in the 3D mechanical CAD/CAM/CAE and PDM market in India. The company is also dominating the the Product Data Management market with over 80 per cent of the PDM customers purchasing SDRC's Metaphase product.

"Rapid growth is also expected in the engineering services segment especially with large MNCs either setting up or outsourcing design and development work in India," Mr Reddy said. He was in Pune to attend the three-day SDRC Indian Users' Conference 2000.

SDRC has witnessed significant growth in the last couple of years which led to the setting up of the 100 per cent subsidiary, SDRC India Private Limited in July 1998. This was followed by the Asia Pacific Metaphase Competency Centre in Bangalore and the SDRC Development centre in Pune, which is the company's first R & D centre outside USA. This centre contributes significantly to SDRC's product roll out especially the flagship product, I-DEAS software with a team of 55. "The company is setting up the new facility at the Hinjewadi IT Park at a cost of $5 million which will be ready by end of this year," Mr Reddy added. There are plans to double the team strength in a year's time.

SDRC's Indian operations have completed 10 years of business in India, where the company has invested $15 million. With a user base of 700 customers, SDRC has a turnover of around Rs 40 crore. Mr Reddy said that the company would be looking at growth rates of around 25 per cent and taking the customer base to around 1200 to 1500 in two to three years. To overcome the problem of shortage of skilled manpower, SDRC has tied up with NIIT to train SDRC certified professionals. Around eight centres are planned for this year.

This is aimed at helping big engineering companies which are witnessing high turnover of their IT staff.