Central Food Technological Research Institute, Cheluvambe Mansion, Mysore.

What Central Food Technological Research Institute, Cheluvambe Mansion, Mysore. does

CSIR-Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) is a premier Indian government research laboratory established in 1950 and headquartered in Mysore, Karnataka, operating under the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. The institute conducts food technology research across four major areas — Engineering Sciences (including automation of traditional food processing), Technology Development, Translational Research (health and wellness products), and Food Protection & Safety — and serves the Indian food processing industry, government and regulatory bodies, academic researchers, and food technology startups.

CFTRI's service portfolio comprises a searchable Technology Database, a Patents Database for licensing and commercialization, a dedicated Centre of Excellence on Millets, a Startup Incubation Facility, the Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility (SAIF), and a Small Animal Imaging Facility. It also delivers academic programs including a two-year M.Sc. in Food Technology and PhD programs in Biological, Chemical, and Engineering Sciences through AcSIR, alongside skill development workshops and training. Knowledge dissemination is supported by the Free Technologies Portal, Food Machineries Portal, and the quarterly FoodPro newsletter.

The institute's revenue model is dominated by government grants from CSIR, supplemented by technology transfer and licensing royalties from industry, tuition and fees from academic programs, professional services from training workshops, and usage-based fees from instrumentation access. Outreach is conducted via a multi-language website, social media channels, conferences, and the annual RISE Conclave, with technology transfer distributed through direct engagement with food processing companies across India.

Name

Central Food Technological Research Institute, Cheluvambe Mansion, Mysore.

Legal name

CSIR - Central Food Technological Research Institute

Website

https://cftri.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CSIR-CFTRI is a government food technology research institute under India's CSIR, established in 1950 in Mysore. It serves the Indian food processing industry, government bodies, academic researchers, and food startups through R&D, technology licensing, incubation, instrumentation services, and academic programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mysore (Mysuru)

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. Government Funding (CSIR): Primary funding from Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. Operating as a premier national laboratory under government umbrella.
2. Technology Transfer and Licensing: Revenue generated through commercialization of developed food processing technologies to industry partners
3. Academic Programs: M.Sc. Food Technology program and PhD programs through AcSIR with tuition/fees
4. Skill Development and Training: Workshops, training programs, and capacity building activities for industry professionals
5. Instrumentation Services: Fee-based access to sophisticated analytical instruments for external R&D users

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CSIR-CFTRI is a premier national food technology research institute that conducts applied R&D across engineering sciences, technology development, translational research, and food protection and safety. It commercializes its innovations through technology transfer and licensing (Technology Database, CFTRI Patents Database, Food Machineries Portal, Free Technologies Portal), delivers instrumentation and incubation services to industry and startups, and trains postgraduate/doctoral researchers through AcSIR-affiliated M.Sc. (Food Technology) and PhD programmes.

Product overview

CSIR-CFTRI is a premier Indian government research institute under CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), operating as a multi-faceted food technology research center rather than a traditional product company. The institute offers a portfolio of services including technology databases (Technology Database, CFTRI Patents Database), specialized research facilities (Centre of Excellence on Millets, Small Animal Imaging Facility, SAIF), startup support through its Incubation Facility, and academic programs (M.Sc Food Technology, PhD programs). The Free Technologies Portal and Food Machineries Portal serve as knowledge dissemination channels. Research activities span four major areas: Engineering Sciences, Technology Development, Translational Research, and Food Protection & Safety. The institute interfaces dynamically with the food industry through technology transfer and licensing arrangements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Technology Database Searchable online database of food processing technologies developed by CSIR-CFTRI that is available to industry partners for licensing and technology transfer.
• CFTRI Patents Database Comprehensive database of patents held by CSIR-CFTRI covering food processing, preservation, safety, and value-addition technologies, allowing industry partners to explore licensing opportunities.
• Centre of Excellence on Millets (CoE on Millets) Dedicated research centre focused on millet processing, value addition, and millet-related R&D, supporting India's International Year of Millets initiative and promoting millet consumption.
• Free Technologies Portal Online portal offering free access to select food processing technologies developed by CSIR-CFTRI, enabling wider dissemination and adoption by industry and entrepreneurs.
• Incubation Facility Startup incubation centre supporting food technology ventures with mentorship, infrastructure access, and direct access to CSIR-CFTRI's expertise, research facilities, and technologies.
• Sophisticated Analytical Instrumentation Facility (SAIF) Fee-based facility enabling external R&D organizations to hire and use high-end scientific instruments for analytical research, providing access to sophisticated instrumentation that would otherwise require significant capital investment.
• Food Machineries Portal Online portal that showcases food processing machineries and equipment developed by CSIR-CFTRI, supporting their adoption by the food processing industry.
• M.Sc. (Food Technology) Programme Two-year postgraduate academic programme in food technology offered through AcSIR (Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research), training students in food science and processing technologies.
• PhD Programmes (AcSIR) Doctoral research programmes in Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Engineering Sciences offered at CSIR-CFTRI under AcSIR (Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research), with selection lists published for the August 2026 session.
• Small Animal Imaging Facility Advanced imaging facility available to support food safety and nutritional studies using small animal models for food research.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization providing funding and administrative support. CFTRI operates as one of the premier national laboratories under CSIR, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. The institute is part of the larger CSIR network of 38 laboratories across India.
• AcSIR (Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for PhD programs. CFTRI serves as an AcSIR center offering doctoral programs in Biological Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Engineering Sciences. The August 2026 session has selection lists published for all three streams.
• Other CSIR LaboratoriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with other CSIR labs across India through shared platforms like Analytical Portal, I-STEM (Indian Science, Technology and Innovation), and cross-lab research initiatives.
• Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent ministry providing policy direction and funding framework for CSIR-CFTRI's research activities under the government science and technology ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation): Australia's national science agency covering food and agribusiness; the closest international analogue to CSIR as a parent of multiple national labs, with comparable funding model, IP licensing, and industry-facing R&D services.
• INRAE (Institut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement): France's public research institute for agriculture, food, and environment; comparable in scale and breadth of food science R&D, technology transfer to industry, and government-backed research mandate.
• Wageningen University & Research: Globally leading food and agro research institution combining academic and applied R&D; comparable in scale, IP generation, and industry partnership model, though far broader in scope and internationally distributed.
• Fraunhofer Institute (Food Technology divisions): German applied research giant with dedicated food/ packaging process divisions; comparable in contract R&D, fee-based instrumentation, and licensing of food processing IP to industry, but operates as a non-profit society rather than a state lab.

Regional players

• Agroscope: Swiss federal research institute for food, agriculture, and nutrition with a comparable public-sector, IP-generating R&D model, but focused on Swiss agrifood industry rather than Indian.

Direct peers

• Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT): India's other national-level food processing R&D and academic institute under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, with overlapping mandates in technology transfer, training, and incubation — the closest domestic peer to CFTRI.
• National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM): Deemed university under the Ministry of Food Processing Industries offering food technology education, R&D, and industry incubation — directly comparable in mission, academic programs, and government-backed technology transfer model.
• ICAR – Indian Council of Agricultural Research: Apex Indian government body coordinating agricultural and food-related research institutes; directly comparable as a peer in the Indian public R&D ecosystem, with overlapping industry-advisory and technology transfer functions.

Emerging players

• International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI): CGIAR-affiliated global food policy and nutrition research organization; partial overlap with CFTRI on nutrition and food safety research, though focused on policy advisory rather than processing technology.

Others

• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT): Global professional society for food scientists that publishes research, runs events, and curates industry content — adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a research lab, but addresses the same professional community CFTRI serves through AcSIR and skill development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/csircftri
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CSIRCFTRIMysuru
• Facebookfacebook.com/csircftrimysore
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/central-food-technological-research-institute-cheluvambe-mansion-mysore.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Central Food Technological Research Institute, Cheluvambe Mansion, Mysore.