National Institute of Plant Genome Research

What National Institute of Plant Genome Research does

National Institute of Plant Genome Research (BRIC-NIPGR) is an autonomous research institute under India's Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, that operates as a national hub for plant genomics research. Founded in 1997 and restructured under the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC) in 2025, the institute is headquartered in New Delhi and employs 101-250 scientific and technical staff. Its core mission is to advance understanding of plant genomes and translate that knowledge into improved crop varieties for Indian agriculture.

NIPGR operates a portfolio of advanced research infrastructure that is offered to the broader scientific community. The National Genomics and Genotyping Facility (NGGF) provides next-generation sequencing and high-throughput genotyping; the SAHAJ scheme provides external researchers paid access to these platforms; and supporting facilities include the DISC bioinformatics unit, the Central Instrumentation Facility, proteomics and metabolomics platforms, microarray services, confocal microscopy, and transgenic and containment greenhouse infrastructure. Its scientific outputs include CRISPR/Cas9-based gene-edited crops such as sheath blight-tolerant rice, salinity-tolerant chickpea, and high-glucoraphanin mustard, as well as patented biological assets including the Bg_9562 antifungal protein protected in India, the EU, USA, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, and Hong Kong. The AquaaG computational pipeline (2026) extends this offering into automated genome annotation software.

The institute's business model is government-funded rather than commercial. Operating budgets are allocated by the Department of Biotechnology through the BRIC umbrella, and the Ph.D. program trains the next generation of plant biotechnologists. Revenue-generating activities are limited to the SAHAJ infrastructure-access scheme, technology licensing (Compendium of Technologies, 2026), and the eventual commercial release of improved crop varieties through the NCS-TCP under the Seeds Act, 1966. There is no disclosed commercial customer base; institutional sustainability is contingent on continued DBT/BRIC funding.

Name

National Institute of Plant Genome Research

Legal name

BRIC-National Institute of Plant Genome Research

Website

https://nipgr.ac.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

BRIC-NIPGR is an autonomous Indian government research institute under the Department of Biotechnology that conducts plant genomics research, operates the National Genomics and Genotyping Facility, and develops CRISPR-based gene-edited crop varieties for Indian agriculture.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plant Genomics Research

NAICS

Research and Development in Biotechnology (except Nanobiotechnology) (541714)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAGANAA

Genomics & Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Services

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Specialty Lab Services (Genomics/Proteomics/Cellomics)

SECONDARYAFABALAE

Genotyping Platforms & Services (SNP arrays, GBS, sequencing)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Inputs & Agrochemicals/Seed Technologies (Genetic Engineering & Trait Development)

SECONDARYAFABALAL

Digital Breeding & Bioinformatics Software (Breeding informatics, decision tools)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Inputs & Agrochemicals/Seed Technologies (Genetic Engineering & Trait Development)

SECONDARYHLAGADAF

Molecular & Genetic Testing (PCR/NGS/qPCR)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Laboratory Testing & Analytical Services

SECONDARYHLAGAIAF

Molecular Biology & Genomics Instruments (PCR/qPCR, Sequencing, Microarrays)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Laboratory Equipment, Instruments & Consumables

Keywords

• Plant genomics research
• Gene editing services
• Crop improvement research
• Bioinformatics analysis
• Genotyping facility

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

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

Revenue model

1. Government Research Grants: NIPGR is an autonomous research institute funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. Operates under the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC). Revenue comes from government funding for research operations, infrastructure maintenance, and scientific programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BRIC-NIPGR is an autonomous plant genomics research institute that conducts basic and translational research on plant genomes, provides high-throughput genomics/genotyping services through facilities such as NGGF and DISC, develops gene-edited crop varieties (rice, chickpea, mustard), and offers Ph.D. training, certification of tissue culture plants (NCS-TCP), and access to advanced instrumentation under the SAHAJ scheme for academic researchers.

Product overview

BRIC-NIPGR is an autonomous research institute under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, focused on plant biology research with translation value for crop improvement. The institute operates as a platform of interconnected research facilities rather than a single product company. Its core offerings include: (1) NGGF (National Genomics and Genotyping Facility) for DNA sequencing and genotyping services using next-generation platforms; (2) DISC/Bioinformatics Facility providing computational biology support with databases and tools; (3) AquaaG, a genome annotation pipeline supporting the One Day One Genome initiative; (4) SAHAJ, a DBT-funded scheme providing access to shared infrastructure including CIF, Proteomics, Metabolomics, Microarray, and Confocal Microscopy facilities; and (5) NCS-TCP, a national certification system for tissue culture raised plants. The institute also offers a Ph.D. programme for training the next generation of plant biologists. Research focuses on gene editing, genomics-guided breeding, and multi-omics approaches for crop improvement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• NGGF - National Genomics and Genotyping Facility: National facility for genomics and genotyping services accepting samples for sequencing and genotyping
• SAHAJ
• DISC - Bioinformatics
• AquaaG
• NCS-TCP

Products and services

• NGGF (National Genomics and Genotyping Facility) High-throughput DNA sequencing and genotyping service for academic and research users, utilizing next-generation sequencing platforms including NextSeq 550, NovaSeq 6000 System, Agena MassARRAY Analyzer4, Nanostring nCounter SPRINT Profiler, and Affymetrix Gene Titan Machine.
• SAHAJ (Scientific Infrastructure Access for Harnessing Academia University Research Joint Collaboration) DBT-funded scheme enabling academic and university researchers to access NIPGR's scientific infrastructure and facilities, with free access available for unfunded researchers on a competitive basis.
• DISC (Bioinformatics Facility) Provides bioinformatics infrastructure, databases, tools, training, and research support for computational analysis of biological data, including genome annotation, sequence analysis, and statistical genomics.
• CIF (Central Instrument Facility) Centralized instrumentation facility providing access to advanced scientific equipment for research purposes to academic and institutional researchers.
• DNA Sequencing Facility Provides DNA sequencing services for genomic research and analysis to plant biology researchers.
• Proteomics Facility Provides proteomics services for protein analysis and research to plant biology researchers.
• Metabolomics Facility Provides metabolomics services using GC-MS and other analytical platforms for metabolite analysis in plant samples.
• Microarray Facility Provides microarray services for gene expression and genomic analysis to plant biology researchers.
• Confocal Microscope Facility Provides confocal microscopy imaging services for cellular and subcellular analysis to plant biology researchers.
• NCS-TCP (National Certification System for Tissue Culture Raised Plants) Quality management and certification system established by the Department of Biotechnology under the Seeds Act 1966 for certification of virus-free, genetically uniform tissue culture raised planting material. Over 1.3 billion plants certified since inception and approximately 350,000 mother plants tested.
• AquaaG Pipeline (Genome Annotation) Comprehensive, user-friendly pipeline for genome quality assessment and annotation across diverse organisms. Supports the Department of Biotechnology's 'One Day, One Genome (ODOG)' initiative and is freely available for academic and research users.
• Ph.D. Programme Doctoral research program in plant genomics, molecular biology, and related fields, training the next generation of plant biologists through coursework and thesis research.
• SAHAJ PFMR (Platform for Measurement of Free Radicals) DBT-SAHAJ platform facility for measurement of free radicals supporting research on oxidative stress in plant biology.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rice plants show 26% improved grain yield under low phosphate conditions through CRISPR/Cas9 promoter editing of OsPHO1;2 gene
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Anand Agricultural UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration between Department of Biotechnology through BRIC-NIPGR and Anand Agricultural University for organizing awareness programs on National Certification System for Tissue Culture Raised Plants (NCS-TCP) to promote the tissue culture industry and benefits of quality planting materials. Awareness program conducted in Anand, Gujarat on August 26, 2025.
• PLAZI (Switzerland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSwitzerland-based organization collaborating with NIPGR and CODATA National Committee at INSA for Indo-Swiss Hands-on Workshop on 'Liberation, Extraction & FAIR Reuse of Data' (March 24-27, 2026). Workshop focuses on practical methods for extracting knowledge from scientific literature and structuring it as FAIR data.
• CODATA National Committee at INSAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with PLAZI and NIPGR for Indo-Swiss workshop on FAIR data principles, literature-based data extraction, AI-assisted knowledge mining, and data reuse across digital repositories.
• Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of IndiaflagshipOthersPrimary funding agency for NIPGR. DBT announces SAHAJ (Scientific Infrastructure Access for Harnessing Academia University Research Joint Collaboration) scheme for access to NIPGR's research facilities.
• Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC)flagshipOthersNIPGR operates under the autonomous body Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC), which oversees multiple biotechnology research institutes in India.
• North Eastern Region Universities and InstitutesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative North-East scheme projects including: integrated multi-omics analysis for Muga silkworm, fungal endophyte studies for legume crops, Alternaria brassicae resistance research, Exobasidium vexans characterization in tea plantations, and foldscope studies on plant pathogen interaction.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ICRISAT - International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics: India-based CGIAR center working on chickpea, pigeonpea, and millets. Highly comparable to NIPGR's salinity-tolerant chickpea work via trans-QTL CaPHL7-CaHKT1 interaction, addressing similar semi-arid crop constraints.
• Donald Danforth Plant Science Center: US-based nonprofit plant research institute focused on crop improvement and bioenergy. Closely comparable to NIPGR in mission (nonprofit plant genomics with translational crop goals) and funding model (mix of government grants and philanthropy).
• IRRI - International Rice Research Institute: Global CGIAR center developing improved rice varieties using genomics and breeding. Directly comparable to NIPGR's rice work on phosphate uptake (OsPHO1;2) and sheath blight tolerance (OsNUOR knockout).
• IARI - Indian Agricultural Research Institute: Premier Indian agricultural research institute under ICAR focused on crop improvement, genetics, and biotechnology. Closest direct peer to NIPGR in terms of genomics-assisted breeding and gene-editing research on rice, wheat, and mustard.
• NCBS - National Centre for Biological Sciences: India-based life sciences research institute focusing on biological research with strengths in genomics and computational biology. Comparable to NIPGR as a top-tier Indian research institute driving fundamental biology with translational potential.
• John Innes Centre: UK-based leading plant science and microbiology research institute. Internationally comparable to NIPGR in wheat, brassica, and barley genetics research with strong translation into commercial crops via licensing.
• Sanger Institute (Wellcome Sanger): World-leading genomics and sequencing institute operating high-throughput platforms. Comparable to NIPGR's NGGF and DISC facility in terms of sequencing infrastructure capacity and bioinformatics pipeline development.

Broad incumbents

• CIMMYT - International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center: Global CGIAR center for maize and wheat breeding and genomics. Comparable to NIPGR's genomics-assisted breeding approach at international scale, with similar translational pipeline from sequence to farmer.
• Corteva Agriscience: Global seed and crop protection company with major CRISPR-based crop editing programs. Comparable to NIPGR's gene-editing work on rice, mustard, and chickpea from a commercial-applied perspective, though operating at vastly larger scale.
• ICAR - Indian Council of Agricultural Research: India's apex agricultural R&D body operating 100+ institutes including crop research centers. Directly comparable as a publicly funded agricultural research umbrella that parallels NIPGR's mission but at much broader scale across crops, livestock, and fisheries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NIPGRsocial
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NIPGRSocial
• Facebookfacebook.com/NIPGR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nipgr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about National Institute of Plant Genome Research