This paper describes some preliminary studies on the development of a family of ceramic composites in the TiSi 2/2MGO.2A1 2O 3.5SiO 2 system. The composite can be electrically non-conducting or electrically conducting, depending on the compositions and heating rates used during the sintering process. The conducting composite comprises an integral surface layer of electrically non-conducting gl glass ceramics surrounding an electrically conducting core, all formed during the sintering operation. Both types of composites are formed by conventional powder-processing routes and pressure-less sintering. These are also found to be oxidation resistant in air up to 1400°C. The effects of various processing parameters on the microstructures, the electrical conductivity of the core and the thickness of the insulating surface are presented and discussed.