CSIR Foundation Day 2026: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research Turns 85

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will be celebrating the 85th anniversary of its Foundation Day on September 26, 2026. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research was set up on September 26, 1942, as an autonomous body to facilitate scientific and industrial research in India. CSIR has grown into a nation-wide R&D system with 37 national laboratories conducting their activities in diverse fields like aerospace, chemicals, biotechnology, environment, oceans science and engineering. The headquarters of CSIR is located at Anusandhan Bhavan, New Delhi, and it is presided over by Dr. N. Kalaiselvi.

CSIR Foundation History

The formation of CSIR is based on the increasing awareness of the need for organized scientific and industrial research in India.

The Board of Scientific and Industrial Research (BSIR) had been set up in 1940, where Arcot Ramasamy Mudaliar played an instrumental role in it and Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar was appointed as its Director. The formation of CSIR served as a more general organization for scientific research and their application to industrial growth.

CSIR was set up on September 26, 1942, and was formed as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.

The organization further increased its research facilities through the setting up of national laboratories in disciplines like chemicals, physics, fuels, glass and ceramics, and metallurgy.

What is CSIR?

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research is a public research and development body having a lab network all across the nation.

The research areas of CSIR includes,

• Aerospace and aerospace engineering
• Chemical science
• Life sciences and the healthcare
• Bio-technology
• Environmental science
• Ocean science
• Earth science
• Mining and minerals
• Materials and metallurgy
• Food and nutrition
• Petroleum
• Structural engineering

There are 37 laboratories/institutes of CSIR officially present in India.

CSIR Head Office and Present Leadership

The head office of CSIR is situated at Anusandhan Bhawan, 2 Rafi Marg, New Delhi.

According to latest available information as of September 2026, Dr. N. Kalaiselvi is the Director General of CSIR and Secretary of DSIR (Department of Scientific and Industrial Research). Dr. N. Kalaiselvi has taken over the office in 2026.

Organization chart of CSIR mentions,

Designation and Officer-in-charge

• President, CSIR: Prime Minister of India
• Vice-President, CSIR: Minister of Science & Technology
• Director General, CSIR: Dr. N. Kalaiselvi
• Head Office: New Delhi
• National laboratories: 37

Major CSIR Laboratories in India

37 laboratories constitute the network of research conducted by CSIR. Some of the important laboratories in CSIR include,

These are some of the 37 laboratories that CSIR maintains in the official CSIR directory.

Role of CSIR in Indian Science and Technology

There have been many contributions from the CSIR in research and development in fields that relate to industries and national requirements. Its labs undertake technology development related to healthcare, energy, materials, aerospace, environment, agriculture, digital and other technologies and processes.

The CSIR has recently developed interests in emerging technology fields like hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, solar energy, plastic recycling, and energy storage. The labs of CSIR have also worked in technology development for defense, environment and industry.

One example of the technology transfer and innovation activities of CSIR is that of the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL).\