What Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences does

Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) is an autonomous research institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, headquartered at the 14-acre Arkavathi campus in Shivanapura, Bengaluru North. Founded in 1991 as the Centre for Liquid Crystal Research by Prof. S. Chandrasekhar, the institute was renamed CeNS in 2014 to reflect its expanded scope in nanoscience and soft matter sciences. It conducts basic and applied research across metal and semiconductor nanostructures, liquid crystals, gels, membranes, hybrid materials, batteries, supercapacitors, sensors, catalysts, and electrochromic smart glass.

CeNS does not commercialize products directly. Its business model is structured around government grant-in-aid from DST (including the Nano Mission), supplemented by technology transfer and licensing agreements with industry partners (e.g., face mask design transferred to Camellia Clothing Ltd., smart glass co-developed with Saint Gobain Research India, graphene/corrosion research with Tata Steel), and fee-based R&D services through its Central Research Facility and Greenhouse Technology Business Incubator. Research outputs are disseminated through peer-reviewed publications (ACS Sensors, Materials Horizons, Journal of Power Sources), conference participation (Bengaluru INDIA NANO, MRS, IISF), and the V4 Science outreach programme.

The institute serves a diverse set of stakeholders including the Indian government research ecosystem, domestic and international industry partners (Tata Steel, HHV, Saint Gobain Research India, Camellia Clothing), academic collaborators (JNCASR, IISc, Shiv Nadar Institution, Kiel University, CHRIST University), and Ph.D. students. Notable proprietary capabilities include an ammonia sensor with 319 ppb sensitivity, self-transforming Mo2C catalysts for green hydrogen, zinc-ion battery cathodes with 97.91% capacity retention after 500 cycles, sunlight-powered supercapacitors exceeding 10,000 cycles, and electrochromic smart glass panels.

Name

Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences

Legal name

Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS)

Website

https://cens.res.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CeNS is an autonomous Indian government research institute under DST, conducting basic and applied research in nanomaterials, liquid crystals, batteries, sensors, catalysts, and smart glass, and transferring technologies to industry partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bengaluru

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Research Grants: CeNS operates as a government-funded research institute receiving core grant-in-aid support from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, for conducting basic and applied research in nano and soft matter sciences. Additional funding comes from DST's Nano Mission.
2. Technology Transfer and Licensing: Revenue generated through technology transfer agreements with industry partners for commercialization of developed technologies, such as face mask design transfer to Camellia Clothing Ltd.
3. R&D Services and Testing: Central Research Facility (CRF) provides research and development services and testing facilities to external customers. The Greenhouse technology business incubator supports technology commercialization.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CeNS is a government-funded autonomous research institute that performs fundamental and applied research in nano and soft matter sciences, including metal and semiconductor nanostructures, liquid crystals, gels, membranes and hybrid materials. It develops research prototypes and patented technologies (ammonia sensors, green hydrogen catalysts, battery electrode materials, supercapacitors, electrochromic smart glass, face masks) that are transferred to industry partners for commercialization through licensing and joint development agreements. The institute also offers PhD research programs and access to its Central Research Facility and Greenhouse Technology Business Incubator.

Product overview

Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS) is a research institute that does not commercialize products directly but develops technologies and prototypes for transfer to industry partners. The institute's research portfolio spans multiple areas including ammonia sensors, green hydrogen catalysts, battery materials (aluminium-ion and zinc-ion), supercapacitors, oxygen electrocatalysts, smart glass technology, and face masks. Technologies are transferred to companies for commercialization - notable transfers include face mask design to Camellia Clothing Ltd. and ongoing collaborations with Tata Steel and HHV for advanced materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Central Research Facility (CRF) R&D and Testing Services Fee-for-service Central Research Facility (CRF) at CeNS providing materials characterization, technology testing and R&D infrastructure access to external customers from industry and academia. Designed for industrial and academic users requiring advanced materials testing and prototype development.
• Greenhouse Technology Business Incubator Business incubator at CeNS that supports technology commercialization and industry partnerships, helping start-ups and companies develop and commercialize advanced materials and nanotechnology products based on CeNS research. Targeted at entrepreneurs and companies seeking to translate lab-stage technologies into market-ready offerings.
• Tribo-E Face Mask Technology License Licensed face mask design technology (Tribo-E mask) with triboelectric fabric layers that allow breathability and deactivation of pathogens through electric charges. Licensed to Camellia Clothing Ltd. (Bangalore-based garment company) for mass production and nationwide distribution in India.
• Electrochromic Smart Glass Technology Affordable energy-efficient electrochromic smart glass panels using metal mesh electrode, thin WO3 film and Al3+ electrolytes for transparent-to-opaque transitions. Co-developed with JNCASR and Saint Gobain Research India; targeted for building energy efficiency applications.
• Tata Steel Advanced Materials Research Centre (TSAMRC) Collaboration Joint advanced materials research collaboration with Tata Steel on graphene technologies for anti-corrosion solutions and smart substrates for automotive and construction applications. Established as Tata Steel Advanced Materials Research Centre (TSAMRC) at CeNS.

Quantifiable outcome

• 97.91% capacity retention after 500 charge-discharge cycles for zinc-ion batteries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tata SteelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished Tata Steel Advanced Materials Research Centre (TSAMRC) at CeNS in October 2016. Collaboration focuses on graphene technologies for anti-corrosion solutions and smart substrates for automotive and construction applications. Tata Steel provides strategic roadmap development in advanced materials.
• HHV (Hyderabad)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative development of hybrid transparent conducting electrodes (ITO/Al-mesh and Al-Mesh), transparent heaters, and transparent EMI shielding products. Joint participation in IESA Spacetronics and Deftronics 2019 exhibition.
• Camellia Clothing Ltd.coreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerTechnology transfer agreement for mass production of face mask design. CeNS transferred cup-shaped mask design to Bangalore-based garment company which planned to produce approximately one lakh masks per day for distribution throughout India.
• Saint Gobain Research IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative team with JNCASR and CeNS for development of affordable smart glass panels with transparent-to-opaque transitions. Awarded Bengaluru INDIA NANO Innovation Award for breakthrough in smart glass technology.
• Sri Venkateswara University (SVU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint announcement of NANO 2026 nanotechnology conference with Sri Venkateswara University and Department of Science and Technology, Karnataka. Conference aimed at creating awareness among SVU-affiliated degree college students.
• Kiel University (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration on green hydrogen catalyst research with self-transforming molybdenum carbide catalyst. Joint research on hydrogen evolution reaction and water electrolysis for efficient hydrogen production.
• Indo-Korea Science and Technology CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTrilateral research collaboration on advanced materials including self-transforming catalysts for green hydrogen production. Partnership facilitates international knowledge exchange and joint development.
• Shiv Nadar Institution of EminencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research on aluminium battery technology with composite electrode material combining vanadium oxide with MXene. Joint development of more stable and longer-lasting aluminium batteries.
• CHRIST University, BengalurucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research on coordination polymers Zn(DAB) and Cd(DAB) for energy storage and green hydrogen production. Collaboration demonstrated materials with high specific capacitances and low overpotentials for hydrogen generation.
• Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration including joint symposiums, shared conference participation, and co-development of smart glass technology. Strong research partnership in nanomaterials and advanced materials research.
• Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative breakthrough research on guiding small organic molecules to form advanced functional materials. Research could facilitate future electronic devices, tuneable optoelectronic systems, and bioelectronic interfaces.
• Manipal Academy of Higher EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. C.V. Yelamaggad appointed as Dr T M A Pai Endowment Chair in Advanced Functional Materials. Collaborative Ph.D. programs and research student exchanges with Manipal.
• Department of Science and Technology, Government of KarnatakacoreOthersOrganizing NANO 2026, a flagship nanotechnology conference and exhibition, at The Lalit hotel in Bengaluru. DST-Karnataka leads the initiative with CeNS as joint organizer.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Imec: World-leading semiconductor and nanoelectronics R&D center in Belgium. While its core mission is semiconductor and ICT-oriented, Imec operates adjacent nanomaterials, thin-film, and energy-storage programs and is a comparable institutional model of a publicly co-funded translational nano-research center.
• National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL): U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory with major programs in advanced batteries, green hydrogen, and electrochromic/smart-window materials. Broader and much larger than CeNS, but directly comparable on the green-hydrogen catalyst, energy-storage, and smart-glass research streams that CeNS is pursuing.
• Argonne National Laboratory: U.S. DOE lab operating the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research (JCESR) and leading programs in batteries, hydrogen, and catalysts. Functions at a vastly larger scale than CeNS but addresses the same battery cathode, aqueous zinc-ion, and hydrogen-production research themes CeNS is commercializing.
• Max Planck Institute for Colloids and Interfaces: Leading European research institute focused on colloids, interfaces, soft matter, and nanomaterials. Directly comparable to CeNS's soft-matter and nano-research core and operates as a publicly funded research institute on a much larger scale with international collaboration footprints similar to CeNS's Kiel University partnerships.

Direct peers

• Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence: Indian research-intensive university with active programs in nanomaterials and energy storage. CeNS and Shiv Nadar Institution have a documented co-development partnership on aluminium-ion battery technology, making them a direct peer on energy-storage research and a fellow India-based R&D center targeting commercial translation.
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru: India's top research university with major materials science, nanoelectronics, soft-matter, and energy-storage research programs. Operates the Centre for Nanoscience and Engineering and similar facilities; comparable in scope, output, and Bengaluru location, and competes for the same talent pool and DST funding as CeNS.
• Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR): India's premier basic-science research institute headquartered in Bengaluru with strong programs in nanomaterials, soft matter, and advanced functional materials. CeNS and JNCASR have a long-standing collaboration and have jointly won the Bengaluru INDIA NANO Innovation Award for smart glass with Saint Gobain Research India, making them the most direct peer by both research focus and geography.
• Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR): India's flagship national fundamental-research institution with significant activity in condensed matter, soft matter, and nanomaterials. TIFR Hyderabad's campus further overlaps geographically with CeNS in India; comparable in being a DST/DOE-backed autonomous research institute pursuing basic materials science.
• Indian Institute of Technology Delhi — Materials Science & Engineering: IIT-Delhi houses one of India's leading materials science and nano-research programs, with Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao (IIT-Delhi Director) also serving as CeNS Governing Council Chairman. Direct overlap on nanomaterials, energy materials, and translational research, and competes for the same faculty and students.

Regional players

• Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP): Bengaluru-based Department of Biotechnology-backed innovation hub for life-sciences and bio-nano research. Comparable as a peer India/Bengaluru-located publicly funded research platform with technology commercialization mandates (incubator model similar to CeNS's Greenhouse), although its primary focus is biotech rather than materials science.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CeNS_Bangalore
• Facebookfacebook.com/CeNS.Bangalore

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences