Chanakya National Law University

What Chanakya National Law University does

Chanakya National Law University (CNLU) is a public law university established by the Government of Bihar on July 15, 2006, and headquartered in Mithapur, Patna, India. It is the first law university in Bihar and operates under the governance of the Chief Justice of Patna High Court as Chancellor, with a Vice-Chancellor appointed by the state government. The institution delivers undergraduate law programs (BA LLB, BBA LLB, three-year LLB), postgraduate LLM degrees, research degrees, and diploma courses, serving primarily Indian law students admitted via the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) and university entrance examinations.

CNLU has progressively expanded its academic surface into interdisciplinary domains anchored by specialized research centers: the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Technology Law (CAITeL), the Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics Center (CSDFC) with a 60-seat digital forensic lab, the Centre for Advanced Research on Corporate and Insolvency Law (CARCIL), the Centre for Innovation Incubation and Legal Entrepreneurship (CIILE), and a DPIIT-IPR Chair for intellectual property research. In 2026, the university launched a two-year MSc in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics with 60 seats, partnering with STPI, Palo Alto Networks, PwC, Bihar Police, and DSCI; it also co-developed a Rs 1 crore AI-based legal research tool with UK-based Gravitas AI, funded by the Union Ministry of Social Justice, to document India's new criminal laws (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023).

The business model is that of a publicly funded state university: core revenue derives from state government grants, with supplementary tuition, central government project funding (e.g., the Gravitas AI grant), and partnership-driven training revenue. The institution does not publicly disclose pricing for academic programs, and student intake is governed by CLAT and centralized counseling. CNLU's go-to-market relies on academic outreach (Times of India education fairs, national moot court competitions such as the NHRC-CUSB National Moot Court and the CNLU Cyber Law National Moot), research output, and institutional partnerships rather than commercial sales. Convocation 2026 graduated 1,134 students and 76 medal recipients, underscoring the institution's scale and operational continuity.

Name

Chanakya National Law University

Legal name

Chanakya National Law University

Website

https://cnlu.ac.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Chanakya National Law University (CNLU), established in 2006 in Patna, Bihar, is a public law university offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and research law programs, and has recently expanded into cybersecurity, digital forensics, and AI-driven legal research for Indian students and legal professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Law & Legal Studies Research Universities (EDAHABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Law Schools (e.g., Tax, IP, International, Trial Advocacy) (EDAHAIAF), LLM & Post-JD Graduate Law Programs (EDAHAIAC), Law School Research Centers & Institutes (e.g., Law & Economics, Human Rights) (EDAHAIAJ), Law & Legal Studies Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAG)

Keywords

• Legal education programs
• Undergraduate law degrees
• Postgraduate law courses
• Cyber security education
• Moot court training

Headquarters

HQ city

Mithapur

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Chanakya National Law University is a public law university in Patna, Bihar, offering undergraduate (BA LLB, BBA LLB), postgraduate (LLM), doctoral, and PG Diploma programs in law. It also delivers a two-year MSc in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics and runs specialized research centers covering corporate insolvency law, AI and technology law, and intellectual property rights, complemented by moot court competitions, legal aid clinics, and police training programs.

Product overview

Chanakya National Law University operates as a traditional legal education institution offering undergraduate and postgraduate law programs. The university's primary offerings include LL.B. (Hons.), B.A. LL.B. (Hons.), and various postgraduate courses. Additionally, the university has launched an M.Sc. in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics program. In terms of technology products, the university partnered with UK-based Gravitas AI to develop an AI-based legal research tool for documenting India's new criminal laws. The institution also houses multiple research centers including the Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics Center (CSDFC), Centre for Advanced Research on Corporate and Insolvency Law (CARCIL), Centre for Innovation Incubation and Legal Entrepreneurship (CIILE), and Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Technology Law (CAITeL).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate Law Programs (BA LLB, BBA LLB, 3-Year LLB) Five-year integrated undergraduate law degrees (BA LLB, BBA LLB) and three-year LLB (Hons) programs for students admitted via CLAT and university entrance tests.
• Postgraduate Law Programs (LLM, PG Diploma) One-year LLM and postgraduate diploma courses for law graduates seeking advanced specialization and research training.
• Doctoral (PhD) Research Programs PhD and MPhil research programs covering areas of law and interdisciplinary legal studies, governed by CNLU's PhD guidelines.
• MSc in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics (CSDF) Two-year MSc program covering four tracks: industry and judiciary, legal system and law enforcement, national security and policy, and governance, with hands-on training in a 60-seat digital forensic lab.
• Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics Training (via CSDFC) Training and certification in cybersecurity and digital forensics delivered through the CSDFC center with partners STPI, Palo Alto Networks, PwC, Bihar Police, and DSCI, offered to law professionals and law enforcement.
• Moot Court and Legal Aid Clinics Practical legal training through national moot court competitions (including the CNLU Cyber Law National Moot Court Competition and CNLU-CARCIL National IBC Moot Court Competition) and free legal aid clinics that promote social justice and community engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% of women respondents supported Bihar liquor ban according to statewide survey
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), HyderabadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU signed to establish structured framework for academic and institutional collaboration. Both institutions committed to jointly design educational training programmes, seminars, webinars, conferences, workshops, faculty development programmes, and online and hybrid learning modules. Signed by CNLU VC Faizan Mustafa and ASCI registrar O P Singh.
• Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established for MSc in Cyber Security and Digital Forensics program. STPI collaboration provides industry-standard training and exposure for the 60-seat program.
• Palo Alto NetworkscoreTechnology or IntegrationCybersecurity industry partner for the MSc CSDF program, providing training and curriculum support for the digital forensics and cybersecurity tracks.
• PwCcoreTechnology or IntegrationIndustry collaboration for cybersecurity and digital forensics program, contributing to real-world training through the 60-seat digital forensic lab.
• Cybersecurity Centre of Excellence (CCoE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU signed for the MSc cyber security and digital forensics program to provide comprehensive training in cybersecurity domain.
• Data Security Council of India (DSCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for cyber security program delivery and research collaboration in data security and privacy.
• Bihar PolicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoU for real-world training through the digital forensic lab, providing hands-on experience in cybercrime investigation and digital forensics.
• Bihar Institute of Correctional AdministrationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for training programs related to correctional administration and legal processes.
• JEEViKAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for statewide survey on Bihar liquor ban impact. CNLU conducted comprehensive survey with over 5.47 lakh women respondents, funded by Bihar government's prohibition and excise department.
• PFELcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for support centre for rural women inaugurated at CNLU in Patna to enhance access to justice and empower women.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for orientation programme on role of police in Gram Kachahri with special reference to POCSO Act and Juvenile Justice Act. Also collaborated on training DSPs on juvenile justice.
• Gravitas AI (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRs1 crore AI-based legal research project funded by Union ministry of social justice. Gravitas AI collaborating to develop AI tool making India's new criminal laws (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023) more accessible.
• Central University of South BiharminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organized first NHRC-CUSB National Moot Court Competition 2026 held at Gaya with 30 teams from universities across India.
• National Human Rights CommissionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for NHRC-CUSB National Moot Court Competition 2026, organized by Central University of South Bihar.
• DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDPIIT-IPR Chair at CNLU hosting international conference on management of human resources for incubation, invention and commercialisation of intellectual property assets.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• National Law School of India University (NLSIU): Bengaluru-based NLSIU is India's flagship national law university and the original NLU model that CNLU was set up to emulate. Comparable 5-year BA LLB, LLM, and research programs with strong moot-court and judicial-services pipeline.
• National Law University, Delhi (NLU Delhi): Delhi-based NLU offers the same national-law-university architecture (BA LLB, LLM, PhD) and competes with CNLU for top CLAT-rankers from North India. Direct competitor for students and faculty in the Hindi-belt catchment.
• NALSAR University of Law: Hyderabad-based NALSAR is a peer NLU running undergraduate, postgraduate, and research law programs with comparable NIRF ranking ambition and technology-law initiatives. Comparable scale of programs and government-funded structure.
• West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS): Kolkata-based WBNUJS is a peer national law university with comparable 5-year integrated LLB, LLM, and PhD programs, sharing the eastern-India recruitment zone with CNLU and competing for the same CLAT pool.
• National Law University, Jodhpur (NLU Jodhpur): Jodhpur-based NLU Jodhpur is a peer NLU with similar integrated law and LLM programs. Notable for its strong corporate and IP law positioning, directly comparable to CNLU's DPIIT-IPR Chair and CARCIL centers.
• Gujarat National Law University (GNLU): Gandhinagar-based GNLU is a peer national law university with comparable BA LLB, LLM, PhD programs and has similar corporate-law and emerging-domain research centers, making it a direct peer for student recruitment and faculty hiring.
• Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law (RGNUL), Punjab: Patiala-based RGNUL is a North-India peer NLU running the same integrated law programs and competing for the same CLAT-ranked applicant pool as CNLU in the northern and eastern Indian states.
• Maharashtra National Law University, Mumbai (MNLU Mumbai): Mumbai-based MNLU is a peer national law university with equivalent 5-year law, LLM, and PhD programs under the same NLU governance model. Comparable in scale and program mix, competing for western and central Indian students.
• National Law University Odisha (NLUO): Cuttack-based NLUO is a peer national law university running integrated BA LLB, LLM, and PhD programs under the same CLAT-based admissions architecture. Comparable in scale and directly competes for eastern-India students.

Emerging players

• Indian Law Institute (ILI): Delhi-based ILI is a comparable postgraduate and research-focused legal institution offering LLM and PhD programs with similar research-center structure. Overlaps with CNLU on postgraduate legal research rather than undergraduate admissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CnluSocial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chanakya-national-law-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/cnlu.official
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Chanakya National Law University