Institute of Microbial Technology

What Institute of Microbial Technology does

CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH) is a government research institute established in 1984 in Chandigarh, India, operating as one of 38 national laboratories under the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology. It conducts basic and applied research across molecular biology, microbial genetics, cell biology and immunology, protein science and engineering, and fermentation technology, supported by more than 55 scientists (mostly trained abroad) and over 300 technical staff and graduate students on a 47-acre campus. Core infrastructure includes a Microbial Type Culture Collection (MTCC) recognized as an International Depositary Authority with 20,000+ cultures, a DCGI-approved cGMP biopharmaceutical facility with fermenters from 5L to 150L, a BSL-3 facility for Category 3 pathogens, and the G.N. Ramachandran Protein Centre for structural biology and X-ray crystallography.

IMTECH generates revenue and in-kind support from four streams: (1) government budgetary allocations from CSIR and project funding from agencies such as DBT, (2) contract research, consultancy, and process development for pharmaceutical, biotech, agrochemical, and industrial clients (Cadila Healthcare, Panacea Biotech, Lupin, Biological E., Kumar Organic Products, Bayer BioSciences, DSM Deretil, Ranbaxy, ICGEB, FNDR, and others), (3) technology licensing and transfer of developed processes, drug candidates, and software tools, and (4) CSR contributions from industries and PSUs. Pricing is not commercial — engagements are negotiated on a project basis via the Business Development Group (BDG).

Beyond research, the institute licenses technology platforms (e.g., a Parkinson's disease peptide therapy, a plasmonic photothermal sterilizer), runs the BioInformatics Centre, has built a portfolio of 40+ copyrighted computational biology tools for drug discovery and CRISPR/siRNA design, and most recently (March 2024) opened a High-Tech Skill Development Centre with Merck in a public-private partnership. It also serves public health functions, having been recognized by ICMR as a nodal centre for COVID-19 RT-qPCR testing during the pandemic.

Name

Institute of Microbial Technology

Legal name

CSIR - Institute of Microbial Technology

Website

https://imtech.res.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Short description

CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology (IMTECH) is a Chandigarh-based government research institute under India's CSIR, conducting microbial biotechnology R&D and offering contract research, technology licensing, and specialized services in fermentation, protein science, and biopharmaceuticals to pharmaceutical, biotech, and government clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microbial Biotechnology Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Medical Laboratories (621511), Biological Product (except Diagnostic) Manufacturing (325414)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Medical Laboratories (8071), Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbiology & Sterility Assurance (Bioburden/Endotoxin/Sterility) (HLAGADAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Engineered Microbial Therapeutics (synthetic biology, gene circuits) (HLAAAFAD), Microbiome Analytics, Sequencing & Bioinformatics Platforms (HLAAAFAI), Microbiology & Infectious Disease Diagnostics (Culture/ID/AST) (HLAHAAAC), Microbiology & Infectious Disease Diagnostics (culture, rapid antigen, syndromic panels) (HLAAALAC)

Keywords

• Microbial biotechnology research
• Contract research services
• Biopharmaceutical manufacturing
• Protein science research
• Technology licensing transfer

Headquarters

HQ city

Chandigarh

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Contract Research and Consultancy: IMTECH provides contract research, consultancy, and process development services to pharmaceutical, biotech, agrochemical, and industrial companies. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements with private sector partners and government agencies.
2. Technology Licensing and Transfer: Technologies developed at IMTECH are licensed to industry partners for commercialization. The institute also transfers processes and know-how to companies seeking to implement microbial biotechnology solutions.
3. CSR Funding: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds from industries and PSUs are mobilized to support R&D activities. CSIR-IMTECH actively seeks CSR contributions for research projects and technology development.
4. Government Funding: As a CSIR laboratory under the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India, IMTECH receives institutional funding for basic and applied research. The institute also receives project funding from various government departments including DBT.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CSIR-Institute of Microbial Technology is a government research institute that conducts microbial biotechnology R&D and provides contract research, consultancy, process development, and technology licensing services to pharmaceutical, biotech, and industrial partners. It operates specialized national facilities including the Microbial Type Culture Collection (MTCC), a cGMP biopharmaceutical incubator, a BSL-3 facility, the G.N. Ramachandran Protein Centre, and the BioInformatics Centre (BIC), supporting translational research from basic science to clinical-trial-grade bioproducts.

Product overview

IMTECH operates as a research institute under CSIR, offering specialized microbial technology services rather than a unified commercial product. Its main offerings include the Microbial Type Culture Collection and Gene Bank (MTCC) as a national repository facility, the BioInformatics Centre (BIC) providing computational biology services, the G.N. Ramachandran Protein Centre for protein science research, an Incubator facility for Biopharmaceuticals with cGMP capabilities, and a Biosafety Level-3 Facility for biomedical research. The institute also offers technology transfer opportunities including a peptide treatment for Parkinson's disease and plasmonic photothermal-based sterilization technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MTCC (Microbial Type Culture Collection): A national facility for maintenance, preservation and identification of microorganisms, holding over 20,000 cultures of bacteria and fungi, recognized as an International Depositary Authority (IDA).
• G.N. Ramachandran Protein Centre
• iCARE
• BioInformatics Centre (BIC)

Products and services

• Contract Research and Consultancy Project-based R&D and process development services for pharmaceutical, biotech, agrochemical, and industrial companies, handled through the Business Development Group.
• Microbial Type Culture Collection (MTCC) National repository holding over 20,000 cultures of bacteria and fungi, recognized as an International Depositary Authority (IDA), providing microbial deposit, identification, and supply services.
• BioInformatics Centre (BIC) Technology platform providing bioinformatics and computational biology services including protein sequence analysis, structure prediction, annotation, and biomolecular modeling capabilities.
• G.N. Ramachandran Protein Centre Protein science facility for integrated activities on proteins, including structural biology and X-ray crystallography.
• Incubator Facility for Biopharmaceuticals cGMP facility approved by the Drug Controller General of India for production of biopharmaceuticals such as therapeutic proteins through microbial fermentation for toxicology and clinical trials; equipped with cGMP-compatible fermenters (5L to 150L) and downstream processing equipment.
• Biosafety Level-3 Facility BSL-3 facility in a separate building for safe conduct of biomedical research involving virulent pathogens (Category 3 agents), with separate rooms for in vivo and in vitro research.
• Technology Licensing and Transfer
• COVID-19 Testing Services Diagnostic testing services using BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories for COVID-19 RT-qPCR testing for government health authorities (ICMR, state health departments).
• Training and Skill Development Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• MTCC holds over 20,000 microbial cultures and is recognized as an International Depositary Authority (IDA)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MerckcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 March 2024First-of-its-kind public-private partnership establishing a High-Tech Skill Development Centre at CSIR-IMTECH. The partnership integrates industry expertise with research institute capabilities for advanced skill development in biotechnology.
• Kumar Organic Products Ltd (KOPL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract research and process development partnership for biotechnology applications.
• Foundation for Neglected Disease Research (FNDR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research partnership focused on neglected tropical diseases, working alongside IMTECH scientists like Dr. Pradip Sen who received RSC Horizon Prize for leishmaniasis and Chagas disease research.
• Excelex Biopolymers Pvt. LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract research partnership for biopolymer development.
• Oniosome Healthcare Pvt. LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare-focused contract research partnership based in Chandigarh.
• Cadila Healthcare Pvt LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor pharmaceutical company engaged in contract research and process development at IMTECH.
• Epygen Biotech LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract research partnership for biotech applications.
• Revelations Biotech Pvt LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract research partnership for biotech research.
• Symmetrix Biotech Pvt. LtdminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract research partnership for biotech applications.
• Panacea Biotech LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Indian biotech company engaged in contract research and process development at IMTECH.
• Lupin Labs LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor pharmaceutical company engaged in contract research and process development at IMTECH.
• ICGEB, New DelhicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology - national/international research collaboration in genetic engineering and biotechnology.
• Biological E. LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor Indian pharmaceutical and biotech company engaged in contract research at IMTECH.
• RanbaxycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor pharmaceutical company engaged in contract research and process development at IMTECH.
• DSM DeretilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational biotech company sponsoring research on enzymatic routes for production of D-amino acids.
• Bayer BioSciences Pvt. LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultinational life sciences company engaged in biotech research collaboration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ATCC (American Type Culture Collection): ATCC is a global biological resource center and International Depositary Authority for microorganisms and cell lines. It is the most direct global analogue of IMTECH's MTCC facility, offering authenticated reference cultures and bioprocessing services to research and industry clients.
• NCIMB (National Collection of Industrial, Food and Marine Bacteria): NCIMB operates an IDA-recognized culture collection serving industrial biotechnology, food, and marine microbiology clients. It directly overlaps with IMTECH's MTCC role in supporting industrial and academic users requiring authenticated microbial strains.
• National Chemical Laboratory (CSIR-NCL): CSIR-NCL is a sister CSIR laboratory focused on chemistry and chemical engineering with significant industry contract research and licensing operations. Its industry-engagement model and contract research orientation closely mirror IMTECH's CSIR contract research, consultancy, and technology transfer approach.
• Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB): CCMB is a sister CSIR national laboratory in Hyderabad engaged in multidisciplinary life sciences research with industry partnerships. It provides a direct institutional analogue to IMTECH within the CSIR network for research output, contract services, and infrastructure benchmarking.
• Leibniz Institute DSMZ (German Collection of Microorganisms and Cell Cultures): DSMZ is one of the world's largest microbial culture collections and an International Depositary Authority, providing services in patent deposit, microbial identification, and culture supply that directly parallel IMTECH's MTCC, BIC, and reference-material offerings.

Broad incumbents

• WuXi Biologics: WuXi Biologics is a leading global biologics CDMO with large-scale microbial and mammalian manufacturing. IMTECH's cGMP biopharma and fermentation offerings are a smaller-scale analogue of WuXi's contract biomanufacturing franchise.
• Syngene International: Syngene is India's largest publicly listed contract research and manufacturing organization, offering discovery, development, and biologics manufacturing services to global pharma. It is the closest commercial analogue to IMTECH's contract research, process development, and bioprocessing operations within India.
• Piramal Pharma Solutions: Piramal is a global CDMO offering drug substance and drug product development and manufacturing across small molecules and biologics. It competes with IMTECH's bioprocess and contract research capabilities from a commercial-private perspective.

Others

• Sartorius: Sartorius supplies bioprocess equipment, fermentation technologies, and process analytics to biopharma manufacturers, including fermentation capacity and downstream systems similar to those operated by IMTECH. It is an enabling infrastructure supplier to the same bioprocessing workflow IMTECH supports.

Regional players

• BCCM (Belgian Coordinated Collections of Microorganisms): BCCM is a Belgium-based consortium of microbial culture collections with IDA-equivalent status serving European clients. It is a regional peer to IMTECH's MTCC in terms of culture collection services but is geographically focused on Europe rather than Asia.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CSIR_IMTECH
• Facebookfacebook.com/imtechchd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute of Microbial Technology