National Centre for Cell Science

What National Centre for Cell Science does

National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS), branded as BRIC-NCCS since 2022, is an autonomous research institute under India's Department of Biotechnology (DBT), established in 1986 in Pune and located within the Savitribai Phule Pune University campus. It operates India's designated national animal cell line repository and serves as a core infrastructure provider for cell biology research, housing approximately 300 personnel across nine research groups spanning cancer biology, pathogenesis, macromolecular structure, genome architecture, microbial ecology, neuroscience, stem cells, and regulatory RNAs. The institute runs five national repositories — Cell Repository, National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR), AMR Repository, COVID-19 Biobank, and the newly established BioE3 Strain Resource Centre (2024) — supported by core facilities in bio-imaging, bioinformatics, DNA sequencing, FACS, proteomics, and SPR (BIACORE T200).

NCCS's revenue model is anchored by government budgetary allocations from DBT and other national agencies (DST, BIRAC, CSIR, ICMR, AYUSH, DAE, MoE, DRDO), supplemented by transactional fees from cell line supply (Rs 4,000/flask for non-profits; Rs 10,000/flask for commercial users, plus 18% GST), licensing of indigenous microbial strains under the BioE3 biomanufacturing policy, contract research engagements with industry partners (Unilever, Cipla, Dr. Reddy's, Tata Steel, Bharat Biotech), and training fees for PhD, postdoctoral, project, and summer programs. Customer segments span academic and research institutions, government bodies, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, and biotech startups. The institute maintains 72 national collaborations across 52 organizations and 44 international collaborations across 19 organizations in 17 countries, and has produced 277 PhD alumni globally.

Strategically, NCCS serves a public-sector mandate rather than operating as a commercially driven entity. Its competitive position rests on regulatory designation as the national repository, decades of accumulated biological assets, state-of-the-art instrumentation, and a deep talent bench of nationally and internationally recognized scientists. The 2024 BioE3 Strain Resource Centre positions NCCS as a foundational infrastructure node in India's emerging biomanufacturing sector under the DBT BioE3 Policy.

Name

National Centre for Cell Science

Legal name

National Centre for Cell Science

Website

https://nccs.res.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

National Centre for Cell Science (BRIC-NCCS) is an autonomous Indian government research institute operating five national biological repositories and conducting cell biology, microbial ecology, and biomanufacturing research for academic, government, and industry partners across India and 17 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Biological Research and Biorepository Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Medical Laboratories (621511), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Research & Trial Central Laboratories (HLAFAMAL)

Keywords

• Cell biology research
• Biological repository services
• Microbial strain supply
• Contract research services
• Postgraduate training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Pune

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding and Grants: Primary funding from Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, with additional support from various national funding agencies including DBT, DST, BIRAC, CSIR, ICMR, AYUSH, DAE, MoE and DRDO
2. Cell Line and Repository Services: Handling charges for cell line supply to non-profit and commercial organizations. Non-profit organizations pay Rs 4000 per cell line per flask plus 18% GST; others pay Rs 10000 per cell line per flask plus 18% GST
3. Training Programs: Revenue from training programs including PhD program, project training (6-month/1 year), and summer training programs for students from across India
4. Contract Research and Consultancy: Contract research arrangements with private companies including sponsored projects, collaborative projects, and consultancies with industries like Unilever, Jai Research Foundation, Cipla, Tata Steel, KEM Hospital Research Center, and Dr. Reddy's Laboratories
5. Strain Resource Services: Access to high-performance indigenous microbial strains for startups, industry R&D teams, and academic labs with associated licensing conditions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NCCS is a government-funded autonomous research institute that conducts cutting-edge cell biology research across nine research groups and maintains national biological repositories supplying authenticated cell lines, microbial strains, AMR strains, COVID-19 biobank specimens, and high-performance biomanufacturing strains. It operates specialized research facilities (Bio-Imaging, Bioinformatics, DNA Sequencing, FACS, Proteomics, SPR-BIACORE T200) on a user-charge basis and delivers academic programs including PhD, postdoctoral, and project training.

Product overview

The National Centre for Cell Science (NCCS) operates as a multi-faceted research institute with a platform-plus-services architecture. Its core offerings include four national biological repositories: the Cell Repository (animal cell lines), AMR Repository (antimicrobial resistant microorganisms), National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR), and BioE3 Strain Resource Centre (high-performance microbial strains for biomanufacturing). Additionally, NCCS maintains specialized screening facilities including Bio-Imaging, Bioinformatics, DNA Sequencing, FACS, Proteomics (Mass Spec), and SPR-BIACORE T200. The institute also delivers academic programs (PhD, Postdoctoral, and Project Training) and manages a COVID-19 biobank. These repositories and facilities serve as the foundational infrastructure upon which research services and collaborations are built.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cell Repository National repository managing expansion, cryopreservation, authentication, mycoplasma testing, and distribution of authenticated animal cell lines to researchers in academia, government, and private institutions in India.
• AMR Repository National Antimicrobial Resistance repository designated by the Department of Biotechnology, collecting, authenticating, documenting, preserving, and distributing AMR strains to promote research and development in human/animal health, agriculture, and industry.
• National Centre for Microbial Resource (NCMR) Microbial resource centre managing microbial culture collection, authentication, preservation, and distribution services for research and industry applications.
• COVID Repository Biobank of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and plasma from SARS-CoV-2 infected and convalescent COVID patients, established in partnership with B.J. Medical College and AFMC.
• BioE3 Strain Resource Centre Department of Biotechnology's repository of indigenous high-performance microbial strains for biomanufacturing, providing startups, industry R&D teams, and academic labs with licensing access and freedom-to-operate status.
• Bio-Imaging Facility Core scientific facility providing advanced bio-imaging services for cellular and molecular research, accessible to researchers across India.
• Bioinformatics Facility Core scientific facility providing computational biology and bioinformatics data analysis services for research projects.
• DNA Sequencing Facility Core facility providing DNA sequencing services for genetic analysis and genomic research.
• Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorters (FACS) Facility Flow cytometry cell sorting facility for isolation and analysis of specific cell populations in research applications.
• Proteomics Facility Mass spectrometry-based proteomics analysis facility for protein identification and quantification in biological samples.
• SPR - BIACORE T200 Facility Surface Plasmon Resonance instrument for biomolecular interaction analysis without labelling.
• PhD Programme Doctoral research programme in cell biology and related areas for students with postgraduate degrees and national fellowships (CSIR/DBT/UGC/ICMR/BINC).
• Postdoctoral Program Research programme for PhD degree holders providing a vibrant intellectual environment with access to state-of-the-art facilities at NCCS.
• Project Training Programme 6-month to 1-year full-time training programme for M.Sc., M.Pharm, M.Tech, B.Tech students and medical degree holders.
• Contract Research and Consultancy Services Sponsored and collaborative research projects, technical services, and consultancy arrangements with pharmaceutical, biotech, consumer goods, and steel industry partners (Unilever, Cipla, Dr. Reddy's, Tata Steel, Bharat Biotech, Jai Research Foundation, KEM Hospital Research Center).

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 peer-reviewed publications in renowned scientific journals from 2016-2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature10 records

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Stowers Institute of Medical Research, USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration with one of the leading biomedical research institutes in the USA for joint research projects in cell biology and related fields.
• University of Turku, FinlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership with Finnish university for academic research exchange and joint projects.
• University of Bath, UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration with UK university for joint research in biological sciences.
• Institut Pasteur, PariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrestigious collaboration with world-renowned French research institute for microbiology and cell biology research.
• Queensland University of Technology, BrisbanecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration with Australian university for joint projects in biotechnology.
• Universidade Nova de LisboacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with Portuguese university for academic research exchange.
• Centro de Investigacion Principe Felipe, SpaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration with Spanish research center for biomedical research.
• Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, RussiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Russian genetics institute for genetic research.
• University of Rostock, GermanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration with German university for joint research projects.
• University of Lubeck, GermanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with German university specializing in medicine and life sciences.
• University of Oslo, NorwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational collaboration with Norwegian university for research exchange.
• University of MinhocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Portuguese university for biological research.
• University CNRS, PariscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with French national research organization for joint scientific projects.
• University of York, UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration with UK university for biological sciences.
• University of Madeira, PortugalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Portuguese university for microbiology and ecology research.
• University of Oslo, NorwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research collaboration for joint projects in life sciences.
• Bharat Biotech International Ltd., HyderabadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership with leading Indian biotech company for vaccine and biotechnology research.
• All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New DelhicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational research collaboration with premier medical institute for biomedical research.
• NIMHANS, BengalurucoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational collaboration with National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences for neuroscience research.
• Tata Memorial Centre, MumbaicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research in cancer biology and treatment with India's premier cancer treatment and research center.
• SRM Institute for Medical Science, ChennaiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with SRM medical institute for collaborative research.
• Basic Ayurveda Limited, GhaziabadminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry collaboration with ayurvedic research company for integrative medicine research.
• UnileverminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry research collaboration with consumer goods company for applied research projects.
• CiplaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract research and technical services partnership with pharmaceutical company.
• Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTechnical services consultancy arrangement with pharmaceutical company for research support.
• Tata SteelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with conglomerate for industrial biotechnology research.
• KEM Hospital Research Center, VaduminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research with rural health research center for community health studies.
• Jai Research FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with contract research organization for preclinical studies.
• B.J. Medical College and AFMCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for establishing Covid-19 biobank with peripheral blood mononuclear cells and plasma from infected and convalescent patients.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI): Autonomous DBT institute under BRIC focused on translational health research, vaccine and immunology platforms, and biobanking. Strong operational and mission overlap with NCCS, including biomanufacturing-adjacent translational programmes.
• JCRB Cell Bank (National Institutes of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition, Japan): Japanese national cell-line repository under a national public-health body, providing authenticated human and animal cell lines with quality standards aligned to NCCS's Cell Repository, including mycoplasma testing and STR profiling.
• National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS-TIFR): TIFR-affiliated Indian research institution in Bangalore conducting multidisciplinary biology, with active core technology platforms (imaging, sequencing, computation) and a strong graduate programme, comparable in scale and remit to NCCS.
• ATCC (American Type Culture Collection): Global reference repository for authenticated cell lines, microbial strains and biomaterials — the gold-standard comparator to NCCS's Cell Repository and NCMR. Both serve as national/central culture banks to academic, clinical and industrial researchers.
• CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB): Indian CSIR laboratory conducting cell and molecular biology research with significant biorepository and contract-research operations; the closest domestic Indian peer to NCCS in mission, scale (300+ scientists) and funding architecture.
• RIKEN BioResource Center: Japan's national bioresource centre offering cell lines, microbial strains, genetic resources and disease-model organisms to academic and industry users — a structural analogue to NCCS's combination of Cell Repository, NCMR and AMR Repository.
• ECACC (European Collection of Authenticated Cell Cultures): UK-based national cell-line repository distributing authenticated cell cultures to researchers worldwide; mirrors NCCS's central-cell-repository mission and operates analogous supply, authentication and mycoplasma-testing services.
• DSMZ (Leibniz Institute, German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures): Europe's leading microbial and cell-culture collection, operating authenticated repositories analogous to NCCS's NCMR and Cell Repository, and serving pharma, biotech and academic R&D with comparable reference-quality biological materials.

Broad incumbents

• Institut Pasteur: Global biomedical research foundation combining basic research, microbiology collections and public-health translation — a much larger, established peer with comparable microbiological resource and infectious-disease missions. NCCS has an active MoU-style collaboration with Institut Pasteur Paris.
• Chinese National Collection of Microbial Resources (CGMCC / China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center): China's central microbial culture collection affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, serving as the regional counterpart to NCCS's NCMR and BioE3 Strain Resource Centre across Asia with comparable national-mandate scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DBT_NCCS_Pune
• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=sEP1Jpg7_5c
• Facebookfacebook.com/BRIC.NCCS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nccs-res-in

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Centre for Cell Science