Research Institutes in India
Updated 2026 list of important institutes, scientific organisations, current names and headquarters for competitive examinations
Important Research Institutes in India and Their Headquarters – Updated 2026
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This post provides an updated list of 42 important research institutes and scientific organisations in India. It gives their current official names, headquarters, major fields and exam-focused correction notes.
This post provides an updated list of 42 important research institutes and scientific organisations in India. It gives their current official names, headquarters, major fields and exam-focused correction notes.
Important correction: The old list mixed research institutes with departments, statutory bodies and public-sector enterprises. The updated title therefore uses the broader and more accurate expression “Research Institutes and Scientific Organisations.”
Current-name rule for examinations: Learn the latest official name first. Keep the former name in brackets only when old question papers or traditional GK books commonly use it.
Static GK
Science and Technology
Headquarters
Updated Names
10 MCQs
Updated List of 42 Research Institutes and Scientific Organisations
| S.No. | Current Official Name | Headquarters / Main Location | Major Field | Important Update / Exam Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi | New Delhi | Medical education, healthcare and biomedical research | Correct form: “All India,” not “All Indian.” |
| 2 | Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) | New Delhi | Archaeology and cultural-heritage conservation | Old post incorrectly mentioned Kolkata as headquarters. |
| 3 | CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB) | Hyderabad, Telangana | Cellular and molecular biology | Major CSIR life-sciences laboratory. |
| 4 | CSIR–Central Building Research Institute (CSIR-CBRI) | Roorkee, Uttarakhand | Building science and construction technology | Roorkee is the correct location. |
| 5 | CSIR–Central Drug Research Institute (CSIR-CDRI) | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh | Drug discovery and biomedical research | Located at Lucknow. |
| 6 | CSIR–Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CSIR-CECRI) | Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu | Electrochemistry, batteries and corrosion | Use “Electrochemical” as one word. |
| 7 | CSIR–Central Food Technological Research Institute (CSIR-CFTRI) | Mysuru, Karnataka | Food science and technology | Modern city spelling: Mysuru. |
| 8 | Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) | Trombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra | Nuclear science and atomic-energy research | Added in place of the obsolete duplicate entry for the former Central Fuel Research Institute. |
| 9 | CSIR–Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute (CSIR-CGCRI) | Kolkata, West Bengal | Glass, ceramics and advanced materials | Current official CSIR laboratory. |
| 10 | CSIR–Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CSIR-CIMAP) | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh | Medicinal and aromatic plants | Located at Lucknow. |
| 11 | CSIR–Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CSIR-CIMFR) | Dhanbad, Jharkhand | Mining, coal and fuel research | The former CFRI and CMRI were integrated into CIMFR. |
| 12 | ICAR–National Institute of Natural Fibre Engineering and Technology (ICAR-NINFET) | Kolkata, West Bengal | Natural-fibre engineering and technology | Updated replacement for the old Central Jute Technological Research Institute entry. |
| 13 | CSIR–Central Leather Research Institute (CSIR-CLRI) | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | Leather science and technology | Located at Adyar, Chennai. |
| 14 | CSIR–Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-CMERI) | Durgapur, West Bengal | Mechanical engineering and manufacturing technology | Located at Durgapur. |
| 15 | ICAR–Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI) | Shimla, Himachal Pradesh | Potato research | Current ICAR name retained. |
| 16 | ICAR–National Rice Research Institute (ICAR-NRRI) | Cuttack, Odisha | Rice research | Formerly Central Rice Research Institute; renamed NRRI in 2015. |
| 17 | CSIR–Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI) | New Delhi | Roads, pavements, bridges and transport engineering | Do not confuse CRRI with the former rice institute abbreviation. |
| 18 | CSIR–Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute (CSIR-CSMCRI) | Bhavnagar, Gujarat | Salt, marine chemicals and membrane science | Bhavnagar is the correct headquarters. |
| 19 | CSIR–Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIR-CSIO) | Chandigarh | Scientific instruments and sensor technologies | Official spelling: Organisation. |
| 20 | ICAR–Sugarcane Breeding Institute (ICAR-SBI) | Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu | Sugarcane breeding and crop improvement | Correct current institute; it is not named Central Sugarcane Research Institute. |
| 21 | ICAR–National Institute for Research on Commercial Agriculture (ICAR-NIRCA) | Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh | Commercial crops and agricultural research | Current name replacing the old Central Tobacco Research Institute entry. |
| 22 | Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) | New Delhi | National scientific and industrial R&D organisation | CSIR is the parent organisation of many laboratories in this list. |
| 23 | Forest Research Institute (ICFRE-FRI) | Dehradun, Uttarakhand | Forestry research and education | Located at New Forest, Dehradun. |
| 24 | High Altitude Research Laboratory (HARL), BARC | Gulmarg, Jammu and Kashmir | Cosmic rays, atmospheric neutrons and high-altitude research | A BARC facility at Gulmarg; do not confuse it with DRDO-DIHAR at Leh. |
| 25 | ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI) | New Delhi | Agricultural research and education | Correct name: Indian Agricultural Research Institute. |
| 26 | CSIR–Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR-IICB) | Kolkata, West Bengal | Chemical biology and biomedical sciences | Located at Kolkata. |
| 27 | CSIR–Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP) | Dehradun, Uttarakhand | Petroleum, fuels and energy technologies | Located at Mohkampur, Dehradun. |
| 28 | ICAR–National Institute of Secondary Agriculture (ICAR-NISA) | Namkum, Ranchi, Jharkhand | Secondary agriculture, lac, resins and value addition | Former Indian Lac Research Institute; renamed IINRG in 2007 and NISA in 2022. |
| 29 | India Meteorological Department (IMD) | New Delhi | Weather, climate and meteorological services | The headquarters is New Delhi; Pune hosts important IMD and meteorological facilities but is not the national headquarters. |
| 30 | Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) | Bengaluru, Karnataka | Advanced interdisciplinary scientific research | Located at Jakkur, Bengaluru. |
| 31 | CSIR–National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) | Bengaluru, Karnataka | Aerospace research and technology | Formerly known as National Aeronautical Laboratory. |
| 32 | CSIR–National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI) | Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh | Plant science and botanical research | Located at Lucknow. |
| 33 | ICAR–National Dairy Research Institute (ICAR-NDRI) | Karnal, Haryana | Dairy science and technology | Karnal is the principal institute location. |
| 34 | CSIR–National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) | Nagpur, Maharashtra | Environmental engineering and pollution control | Located at Nagpur. |
| 35 | CSIR–National Geophysical Research Institute (CSIR-NGRI) | Hyderabad, Telangana | Geophysics and Earth sciences | Located at Hyderabad. |
| 36 | CSIR–National Institute of Oceanography (CSIR-NIO) | Dona Paula, Goa | Oceanography and marine science | Use Dona Paula, Goa; some older GK books loosely write Panaji. |
| 37 | National Sugar Institute (NSI) | Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh | Sugar technology, engineering and education | Correct current name; not National Sugar Research Institute. |
| 38 | Raman Research Institute (RRI) | Bengaluru, Karnataka | Astronomy, astrophysics, light and matter physics | Located at Sadashivanagar, Bengaluru. |
| 39 | Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) | Mumbai, Maharashtra | Fundamental research in physics, mathematics, biology and computing | Main campus at Colaba, Mumbai. |
| 40 | Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA) | Ahmedabad, Gujarat | Textile and technical-textile research | The old generic entry “Textile Research Institute” was incomplete. |
| 41 | Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) | Jaduguda, Jharkhand | Uranium mining and processing | UCIL is a public-sector enterprise, not a research institute. |
| 42 | Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala | Launch-vehicle and space-transportation technology | A major centre of ISRO. |
Major Corrections Made to the Old Post
| Old or Inaccurate Entry | Updated Entry |
|---|---|
| All Indian Institute of Medical Science | All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi |
| Archaeological Survey of India – Kolkata | ASI headquarters – New Delhi |
| Central Fuel Research Institute | No longer a separate institute; integrated into CSIR-CIMFR, Dhanbad |
| Central Jute Technological Research Institute | ICAR-NINFET, Kolkata |
| Central Rice Research Institute | ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, Cuttack |
| Central Sugarcane Research Institute, Coimbatore | ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore |
| Central Tobacco Research Institute | ICAR-NIRCA, Rajahmundry |
| Indian Lac Research Institute | ICAR-NISA, Namkum, Ranchi |
| Indian Meteorological Observatory – Pune & Delhi | India Meteorological Department headquarters – New Delhi |
| National Aeronautical Laboratory | CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories, Bengaluru |
| National Sugar Research Institute | National Sugar Institute, Kanpur |
| Textile Research Institute | Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA) |
Special APPSC Exam Point:
Andhra Pradesh candidates should particularly remember ICAR-NIRCA – Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. This is the current name used by ICAR for the institute earlier known through tobacco-research terminology.
Andhra Pradesh candidates should particularly remember ICAR-NIRCA – Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. This is the current name used by ICAR for the institute earlier known through tobacco-research terminology.
Do Not Confuse These Institutes
NRRI vs IIRR
ICAR-NRRI is at Cuttack. ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research is at Hyderabad.
ICAR-NRRI is at Cuttack. ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research is at Hyderabad.
CRRI – Roads
CSIR-CRRI at New Delhi deals with road research. The old rice institute abbreviation CRRI has been replaced by NRRI.
CSIR-CRRI at New Delhi deals with road research. The old rice institute abbreviation CRRI has been replaced by NRRI.
SBI vs IISR
ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute is at Coimbatore. ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research is at Lucknow.
ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute is at Coimbatore. ICAR-Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research is at Lucknow.
HARL vs DIHAR
HARL is a BARC high-altitude laboratory at Gulmarg. DRDO-Defence Institute of High Altitude Research is at Leh.
HARL is a BARC high-altitude laboratory at Gulmarg. DRDO-Defence Institute of High Altitude Research is at Leh.
NIO vs NIOT
CSIR-NIO is at Dona Paula, Goa. National Institute of Ocean Technology is at Chennai.
CSIR-NIO is at Dona Paula, Goa. National Institute of Ocean Technology is at Chennai.
AIIMS New Delhi
There are several AIIMS institutions, but the classic GK headquarters/main-institute answer in this list is AIIMS New Delhi.
There are several AIIMS institutions, but the classic GK headquarters/main-institute answer in this list is AIIMS New Delhi.
Easy Memory Tricks
Lucknow Cluster: CDRI – drugs, CIMAP – medicinal plants, NBRI – botany.
Hyderabad Cluster: CCMB – molecular biology, NGRI – geophysics.
Dehradun Cluster: FRI – forests, IIP – petroleum.
Bengaluru Cluster: JNCASR – advanced science, NAL – aerospace, RRI – basic sciences.
Kolkata Cluster: CGCRI – glass and ceramics, IICB – chemical biology, NINFET – natural fibres.
Hyderabad Cluster: CCMB – molecular biology, NGRI – geophysics.
Dehradun Cluster: FRI – forests, IIP – petroleum.
Bengaluru Cluster: JNCASR – advanced science, NAL – aerospace, RRI – basic sciences.
Kolkata Cluster: CGCRI – glass and ceramics, IICB – chemical biology, NINFET – natural fibres.
Quick Revision: Institute – Headquarters
- AIIMS – New Delhi
- ASI – New Delhi
- CCMB – Hyderabad
- CBRI – Roorkee
- CDRI – Lucknow
- CECRI – Karaikudi
- CFTRI – Mysuru
- BARC – Mumbai
- CGCRI – Kolkata
- CIMAP – Lucknow
- CIMFR – Dhanbad
- NINFET – Kolkata
- CLRI – Chennai
- CMERI – Durgapur
- CPRI – Shimla
- NRRI – Cuttack
- CRRI – New Delhi
- CSMCRI – Bhavnagar
- CSIO – Chandigarh
- SBI – Coimbatore
- NIRCA – Rajahmundry
- CSIR – New Delhi
- FRI – Dehradun
- HARL – Gulmarg
- IARI – New Delhi
- IICB – Kolkata
- IIP – Dehradun
- NISA – Ranchi
- IMD – New Delhi
- JNCASR – Bengaluru
- NAL – Bengaluru
- NBRI – Lucknow
- NDRI – Karnal
- NEERI – Nagpur
- NGRI – Hyderabad
- NIO – Dona Paula, Goa
- NSI – Kanpur
- RRI – Bengaluru
- TIFR – Mumbai
- ATIRA – Ahmedabad
- UCIL – Jaduguda
- VSSC – Thiruvananthapuram
10 MCQs
Select any option. The correct answer and explanation will appear immediately.
Question 1
Where is the headquarters of the Archaeological Survey of India located?
Right Answer: B. New Delhi
Explanation: The Archaeological Survey of India is headquartered in New Delhi. Kolkata was an incorrect entry in the old post.
Explanation: The Archaeological Survey of India is headquartered in New Delhi. Kolkata was an incorrect entry in the old post.
Question 2
Which institute is the present successor to the former Central Fuel Research Institute?
Right Answer: B. CSIR-CIMFR
Explanation: The former Central Fuel Research Institute and Central Mining Research Institute were integrated into CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research at Dhanbad.
Explanation: The former Central Fuel Research Institute and Central Mining Research Institute were integrated into CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research at Dhanbad.
Question 3
The former Central Rice Research Institute is now known as:
Right Answer: A. ICAR-National Rice Research Institute
Explanation: The institute at Cuttack was renamed ICAR-National Rice Research Institute in 2015.
Explanation: The institute at Cuttack was renamed ICAR-National Rice Research Institute in 2015.
Question 4
ICAR-National Institute of Secondary Agriculture is located at:
Right Answer: B. Namkum, Ranchi
Explanation: ICAR-NISA is located at Namkum, Ranchi. It developed from the former Indian Lac Research Institute and later IINRG.
Explanation: ICAR-NISA is located at Namkum, Ranchi. It developed from the former Indian Lac Research Institute and later IINRG.
Question 5
Where is the national headquarters of the India Meteorological Department?
Right Answer: C. New Delhi
Explanation: IMD headquarters is at Mausam Bhawan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.
Explanation: IMD headquarters is at Mausam Bhawan, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.
Question 6
CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories is headquartered in:
Right Answer: B. Bengaluru
Explanation: CSIR-NAL is located in Bengaluru and was formerly known as National Aeronautical Laboratory.
Explanation: CSIR-NAL is located in Bengaluru and was formerly known as National Aeronautical Laboratory.
Question 7
CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography is located at:
Right Answer: A. Dona Paula, Goa
Explanation: The headquarters of CSIR-NIO is at Dona Paula in Goa.
Explanation: The headquarters of CSIR-NIO is at Dona Paula in Goa.
Question 8
Which is the current name of the former Central Tobacco Research Institute?
Right Answer: A. ICAR-NIRCA
Explanation: The current institute is ICAR-National Institute for Research on Commercial Agriculture at Rajahmundry.
Explanation: The current institute is ICAR-National Institute for Research on Commercial Agriculture at Rajahmundry.
Question 9
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre is located in:
Right Answer: C. Thiruvananthapuram
Explanation: VSSC, a major ISRO centre for launch-vehicle technology, is located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Explanation: VSSC, a major ISRO centre for launch-vehicle technology, is located in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Question 10
CSIR-Central Scientific Instruments Organisation is located in:
Right Answer: A. Chandigarh
Explanation: CSIR-CSIO is located in Chandigarh and works on scientific instruments, sensors and related technologies.
Explanation: CSIR-CSIO is located in Chandigarh and works on scientific instruments, sensors and related technologies.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where is the headquarters of the Archaeological Survey of India?
The headquarters of the Archaeological Survey of India is in New Delhi.
2. Is the Central Fuel Research Institute still a separate institute?
No. Its functions were integrated with the former Central Mining Research Institute to form CSIR-Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research at Dhanbad.
3. What is the current name of the Central Rice Research Institute?
Its current name is ICAR-National Rice Research Institute, located at Cuttack, Odisha.
4. What is the current name of the Indian Lac Research Institute?
The institute became the Indian Institute of Natural Resins and Gums in 2007 and was renamed ICAR-National Institute of Secondary Agriculture in 2022.
5. Is Pune the headquarters of the India Meteorological Department?
No. The national headquarters of IMD is at Mausam Bhawan, New Delhi. Pune has major meteorological offices, data and research facilities.
6. What is the difference between NAL and VSSC?
CSIR-NAL at Bengaluru works mainly in aerospace research. VSSC at Thiruvananthapuram is an ISRO centre focused on launch vehicles and space-transportation systems.
Related Study Links
Official Sources
- CSIR Laboratories and Institutes – Official Contact Directory
- Indian Council of Agricultural Research – Institutions Directory
- AIIMS New Delhi – Official Website
- Archaeological Survey of India – Official Website
- Bhabha Atomic Research Centre – Official Website
- India Meteorological Department – Official Contact Page
- JNCASR – Official Contact Page
- Raman Research Institute – Official Contact Page
- TIFR – Official Contact Page
- ICAR-NIRCA – Official Website
- National Sugar Institute – Official Website
- Uranium Corporation of India Limited – Official Website
- Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre – Official Website
- Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association – Official Website
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