Cliched as it sounds, change is the only constant in this world. Things evolve in time just like a larva makes its transition in phases into a beautiful butterfly. One might wonder what this analogy has got to do with a magazine that is at the opposite end of biology - engineering. Metamorphosis need not be seen in the biological context alone, and the Greek roots of the word makes it the ideal one to describe any transformation.

How much has Industrial Products Finder (IPF) metamorphosed since its inception in October 1972? A lot, mainly in form than in content (sacrosanct), even as it remains the preferred choice for SMEs when it comes to sourcing products and services. Right from the inaugural issue, the magazine was industry-centric, featuring only editorials and advertisements that were relevant to industry. The October 1972 issue featured close to 200 products in profiles that were mostly illustrated.

A majority of these were from companies abroad, particularly the USA, the UK, Switzerland, and France. Companies from India, whose products were profiled, included Hindustan Machine Tools Ltd, Kirloskar Electric Company Ltd, Larsen & Toubro Ltd, Batliboi & Co Pvt Ltd, Grindwell Norton Ltd, Crompton Greaves Ltd, Bombay Ring Travellers Company Ltd, Lathia Rubber Manufacturing Co P Ltd, Advani-Oerlikon Private Ltd, and Voltas Limited.

N. Ram, former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu Group of Publications in a recent TV interview stressed that accuracy of content was important to win the trust of readers, which would eventually lead to the success of a publication. Though he was talking about publications from The Hindu group, his comments are the underlying principle for any publication. For IPF too, this is the bottom line. IPF has always been a stickler for accuracy of the descriptions, and never 'manufactures' a profile on its own. A profile, which is free of any cost or obligation, is usually sent by the manufacturer or trader representing the manufacturer, or written using whatever information that is available in the public domain - product brochures, and catalogues circulated at trade events or those collected by IPF marketing staff during a sales call, or in the present e-age newsletters received on email, etc. The profiles were and still are descriptions of the product, its specifications, areas of application, and special features.

Because a picture speaks a thousand words, wherever possible photographs/ illustrations/schematic diagrams of the product are published along with a product description. This has been the norm right from the inaugural issue in October 1972. Each product profile carried, and continues to carry, the contact details of the manufacturer/dealer/distributor. The major improvements in the present day IPF are the addition of the contemporary modes of communication - mobile phone number, email ids and website details - to the postal address of the company featured. The last-mentioned feature is a paid service where a company pays Rs 2000/- to get its website mentioned in the contact details. The response to this feature has been encouraging, as always to any new feature introduced in IPF.

IPF started as a B&W magazine and remained so for most of its time, and subscribers may well remember the sandal-coloured paper on which it was printed. The avid publisher that he was, Mr R V Pandit deemed it fit that a magazine meant for the shop floor be suitable for the rough handling it may be subjected to there, the smudges from working hands et al. Moreover, the maplitho paper ensured that the magazine had a long shelf life.

The year 2000 saw ownership of IPF transform from being a proprietary concern to a corporate venture with IL&FS Venture Corporation and HDFC (who continue to be the stakeholders) buying a stake in the company. IPFonline Limited was born out of Business Press Private Ltd, and with it, the online avatar www.industrialproductsfinder.com (www.ipfonline.com), India's first portal for industrial products. The new media also established its presence in the print edition. Beginning 2000, the bulky Annual issue of IPF had a companion - a compact disc. All the contents of the print edition were digitised and given in a CD, free of cost along with the printed copy. This has since evolved to be an e-magazine in DVD form (IPF Annual 2009) and is all set for an iPad/Tablet version in 2013.

The first major change in the form of IPF happened in April 2002. It was when the cover pages changed to colour even as the magazine retained the Black &White scheme for its masthead on the front cover. The inner pages too saw introduction of additional colour forms in the form of art paper thus catering to growing demand from IPF's advertisers, and also staying in tune with the changing times. Also, this was the issue when the sandal-coloured paper gave way to all-white maplitho paper. The rest, as they say, is history.

Having risen above all types of competition, IPF underwent one more change to maintain its leadership position as well as silence unreasonable criticism that it was too heavy to be handy anymore. IPF lost considerable weight when it switched over completely to art paper in April 2009. The new, sleek magazine was a refreshing change to IPF loyalists and the advertising community lapped it up instantly.

Despite these changes, the core of IPF has remained unchanged. Even today, the magazine is industry-centric; all profiles and advertisements are about industrial products and services. The magazine does not entice subscribers using the bait of lucrative offers for subscribing. It still remains by-paid-subscription-only magazine, though the annual subscription rate has increased from Rs 10 in 1972 to Rs 1200 in 2012, which is understandable.

www.ipfonline.com too has grown in stature. Alexa, the global agency rating websites based on the traffic attracted, has ranked ipfonline.com within 90000 among the websites ranked globally, and its India ranking is improving at a fast pace with every passing day. An auspicious sign as IPF enters its 40th year and a precursor to things to come in its continuing metamorphosis.