National Botanical Research Institute

What National Botanical Research Institute does

CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI) is a national plant science research institute headquartered in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, operating under India's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. Formally established in 1953 from a royal garden lineage dating to 1800, it conducts multi-disciplinary R&D across six structured divisions: plant diversity and systematics (including the Lucknow Herbarium with ~300,000 specimens designated a 'National Repository' by the National Biodiversity Authority), pharmacognosy and phytochemistry, plant ecology and environmental technologies, molecular biology and biotechnology (with a state-of-the-art plant genomic facility using CRISPR/Cas9 in cotton, tomato, rice, and cannabis), plant genetic resources improvement, and botanical garden and agricultural technologies.

Its technology infrastructure spans a γ-ray induced mutation breeding facility for ornamentals, a 6,000+ species botanical garden established in 1789, advanced analytical instrumentation (triple-quadrupole ICP-MS, GC, FTIR), and facilities supporting environmental remediation (including microbial formulations for arsenic reduction and the low-arsenic rice cultivar Mukto Shri IET-21845). The institute holds 14 granted patents and 8+ pending patents covering herbal formulations (e.g., BGR-34 for Type-2 diabetes, URO-5 for kidney stones, NBICOF cough syrup, anti-dandruff hair oil), biotech processes (chimeric delta endotoxin, Trichoderma protoplast fusion bioinoculants, whitefly chitinase toxin), agricultural technologies (Bt cotton, thebaine-rich opium poppy varieties), and nanoformulations (bioavailable curcumin, flavonoids). It also operates programs in AYUSH-validated traditional medicine, opium poppy genetic improvement, and the first cannabis crop improvement program in India.

NBRI's revenue model is primarily government-driven: multi-year research grants from CSIR, DBT, DST, SERB, ICAR, AYUSH Ministry, and Ministry of Environment (approximately 65 ongoing projects documented in FY 2023-24). Secondary commercial streams include technology licensing and transfer to industry (Bt cotton, herbal formulations, microbial bioinoculants), contract research and consultancy (plant identification, herbarium access, gamma irradiation, environmental testing via the Central Instrumentation Facility), and AYUSH-recognized skill development plus Ph.D. training through AcSIR. Pricing for commercial services is on a fee basis but is not publicly disclosed. Customers are predominantly government ministries, CSIR sister laboratories, ICAR-affiliated agricultural institutes, state agricultural departments, and select commercial licensees in the herbal pharma, agricultural biotech, and cosmetics sectors.

Name

National Botanical Research Institute

Legal name

CSIR - National Botanical Research Institute

Website

https://nbri.res.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CSIR-NBRI is an Indian government plant science institute under CSIR, conducting multi-disciplinary R&D in taxonomy, pharmacognosy, biotechnology, and plant genetics for government ministries and commercial licensees, with technology transfer, contract research, and training services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lucknow

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Research Grants: Primary funding from CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Ministry of Science and Technology, and various government departments (DBT, DST, SERB, ICAR, AYUSH Ministry, Ministry of Environment). Funded through multi-year research projects.
2. Technology Transfer and Licensing: NBRI transfers developed technologies, herbal formulations, plant varieties, and microbial products to commercial entities and government agencies through licensing agreements. Technologies include BT cotton, herbal products, biofertilizers, and agricultural technologies.
3. Contract Research and Consultancy: Provides specialized research services including plant identification, herbarium access, gamma irradiation, testing and analysis, and consultancy for industry and government bodies.
4. Training and Skill Development Programs: Generates revenue through skill development programs (AYUSH-ministry recognized), PG training, Ph.D. programs through AcSIR, and certificate courses in plant tissue culture and horticulture.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NBRI delivers multidisciplinary plant science research and develops applied technologies including herbal formulations, improved plant varieties, microbial bioinoculants, and environmental remediation technologies. It provides contract research, technology transfer and licensing, analytical testing, and specialized training services to government agencies, industry, and academic institutions. The institute maintains a national botanical garden, herbarium, and germplasm repository as part of its public-good scientific mandate.

Product overview

CSIR-NBRI operates as a multi-disciplinary botanical research institute offering a diverse portfolio of herbal products, agricultural technologies, and nutraceuticals. The product range spans healthcare formulations (herbal medicines for diabetes, urolithiasis, cough, dental care), agricultural technologies (Bt cotton, low-arsenic rice, opium poppy varieties, microbial bioinoculants), personal care products (herbal sanitizers, dental creams, gulal), and cosmetics (herbal colors, perfumes). The institute leverages expertise in pharmacognosy, phytochemistry, plant genetic resources, and molecular biology to develop evidence-based herbal formulations and improved plant varieties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Herbal Formulations and Phytopharmaceuticals Standardized herbal drug formulations and pharmacognosy products developed for transfer to pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industry partners.
• Microbial Bioinoculants (Biofertilizers and Biopesticides) Developed microbial inoculant products for crop nutrition and protection, intended for licensing to agricultural input companies.
• Tissue Culture Plants and Micropropagation Services Plant tissue culture services and mass-multiplied elite planting material supplied to nurseries, forestry programs, and industry.
• Phytoremediation Technology for Contaminated Sites Technology packages using plants to remediate heavy metal and pollutant contaminated soils and water, transferred to environmental remediation firms and government agencies.
• Analytical Testing and Quality Assurance Services Fee-based analytical testing, phytochemical characterization, and quality assurance services delivered to industry, government, and academic clients.
• Training, Workshops and Academic Programs Specialized training programs, workshops, and academic courses in plant sciences, biotechnology, and phytoremediation delivered to students, researchers, and professionals.
• Plant Genetic Resource Conservation (Botanical Garden and Herbarium Services) Custodial services over NBRI's botanical garden and national herbarium, providing plant identification, germplasm access, and biodiversity data to researchers and institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Low-arsenic rice variety Mukto Shri IET-21845 maintains grain arsenic below MTDI while retaining optimal yield in arsenic-contaminated soils of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 1953CSIR adopted the National Botanical Garden under its umbrella on 13 April 1953, appointing Prof. K.N. Kaul as the first regular Director. NBRI operates as a national laboratory under CSIR, which is part of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.
• ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research) InstitutescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBRI collaborates with ICAR institutes including ICAR-NIPB (National Institute for Plant Biotechnology), ICAR-Directorate of Floriculture, and various agricultural universities on multi-institutional research projects covering cotton genomics, rice improvement, and crop development.
• Rice Research Center, West Bengal GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJointly released low-arsenic rice variety Mukto Shri IET-21845 for cultivation in arsenic-affected districts of West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
• AYUSH Ministry, Government of IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAYUSH Ministry provides recognition and funding for NBRI's skill development programs in medicinal and aromatic plant cultivation, and validates herbal formulations developed by the institute for AYUSH systems of medicine.
• Hempstreat Medicare Pvt. Ltd., GurugramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSponsored research project on standardization of cannabis extraction process and development of AYUSH-formulation using cannabis (Vijay Vati, Trailokya Vijaya Vati, Kameshwara Modaka) under GMP conditions.
• National Biodiversity Authority (NBA), IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBA has recognized NBRI's Lucknow Herbarium (LWG) as a 'National Repository' for plant and lichen specimens under India's Biological Diversity Act.
• Plant Variety Protection and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPV&FRA), IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBRI is the designated DUS (Distinctiveness, Uniformity, and Stability) testing center for Bougainvillea, Canna, and Gladiolus, and has developed and registered new plant varieties with PPV&FRA.
• Other CSIR National LaboratoriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBRI participates in multi-laboratory CSIR network programs including CSIR Aroma Mission, CSIR Floriculture Mission, and multi-center genomic surveillance projects with labs such as CSIR-IHBT, CSIR-CCMB, CSIR-NCL, CSIR-CIMAP, CSIR-IIIM.
• AcSIR (Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBRI offers Ph.D. programs through AcSIR, CSIR's academy for doctoral education in science and technology.
• Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and UniversitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNBRI collaborates with various Indian universities and IITs on joint research projects, student training, and thesis supervision programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Patanjali Ayurved: Large Indian Ayurvedic and herbal products company. Comparable as a downstream user and potential technology licensing partner for herbal formulation R&D similar to NBRI's portfolio (BGR-34, URO-5).
• Dabur India: Major Indian herbal and Ayurvedic products company that develops and markets plant-based formulations. Comparable as a downstream commercialization channel and potential licensing partner for NBRI's herbal product R&D outputs.

Emerging players

• Syngene International: Indian contract research and development services company serving pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Comparable to NBRI's contract research and analytical services (CIF) but in private-sector commercial life sciences R&D.

Broad incumbents

• New York Botanical Garden: Large botanical research institution with major herbarium (~2.8M specimens), plant science research, and conservation programs. Comparable to NBRI's herbarium (LWG) and botanical garden functions at international scale.
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: Global heritage botanical research institution with world-leading herbarium collections, botanical gardens, and plant science research. Comparable to NBRI in mission (plant diversity, herbarium, conservation) but at much larger global scale and with diversified funding.
• Missouri Botanical Garden: Major US-based botanical research institution with extensive herbarium collections, plant conservation programs, and applied research. Comparable to NBRI in herbarium and botanical garden functions at international scale.
• CABI (Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International): International not-for-profit organization providing scientific expertise in agriculture and the environment. Comparable to NBRI in agricultural research, plant health, and biodiversity information services, with global reach and diversified funding.

Direct peers

• CSIR-Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP): Sister CSIR lab focused on medicinal and aromatic plants, herbal product development, and aroma mission activities. Highly comparable to NBRI's pharmacognosy and aromatic plant research, and collaborates with NBRI under CSIR multi-lab programs.
• ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI): India's premier agricultural research institute under ICAR, focusing on crop improvement, biotechnology, and agricultural extension. Comparable to NBRI's agricultural technologies and crop variety development work, with multi-institutional research collaboration.
• CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT): Another CSIR lab focused on plant bioresources, phytochemistry, and biotechnology in the Himalayan region. Highly comparable mission and capability set to NBRI in plant genetic resources, herbal product development, and CSIR Aroma Mission activities.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/csirnbrilko
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@csirnbriofficial?si=FzFxx65HWnEkB2TT
• Facebookfacebook.com/share/1dXqfz9oDM
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-botanical-research-institute

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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