India has a strong research and development base, both in the governmental and
private sectors, in science and technology. This has led to an impressive quantity of
research publications. But the Indian scientific community has noted with great concern
that Indian research findings, especially those reported in Indian journals, are under
represented in the global knowledge base. This is of concern not only for India but for
other developing nations as well. A global effort is on the way to make scientific
information affordable by bypassing the profit-making commercial scientific journal
publishers. Internet has created the possibility of establishing alternative models for the
dissemination of information. The above problems may be addressed by facilitating free
access to scientific information in electronic form to users worldwide. In India, many
science, technology, and medical journals are now available online for a global audience
through the initiatives of government and private non-profit publishers. The paper outlines
these international efforts with special focus on Indian initiatives.