Central Agricultural University

Higher Education - Agricultural Sciencescau.ac.in

Central Agricultural University is a public central university in Imphal, India, established in 1993 by an Act of Parliament, delivering agricultural education, region-specific research, and extension services across 12 constituent colleges and 15 KVKs serving the North Eastern Hill states.

Company typePublic
Founded1993
HeadquartersImphal, India
Headcount501–1,000
GTM typeB2C
OfferingServices

What Central Agricultural University does

Central Agricultural University (CAU) is a public central university established by the Central Agricultural University Act, 1992 (No. 40 of 1992), with the Act coming into effect on 26 January 1993. Headquartered at Lamphelpat, Imphal West, Manipur, India, CAU operates under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Government of India, with the President of India serving as Visitor. It functions as the only central agricultural university mandated to serve the North Eastern Hill (NEH) region, operating 12 constituent colleges across six states—Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Tripura, and Mizoram—and 15 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) for frontline extension services. CAU achieved 24th rank out of 173 participating institutes in the NIRF 2025 Agricultural Universities ranking.

CAU's product portfolio spans academic programs (undergraduate, postgraduate, and certificate courses including Paravet and Remote Sensing & GIS), publications (CAU Farm Magazine, Newsletter, Kishn Diary), and a substantial agricultural technology portfolio including four notified rice varieties (CAU-R1 Tamphaphou, R2 Tomthinphou, R3 Mangalphou, R4 Enotphou) developed for upland NEH conditions, three patented post-harvest technologies (Multi-Column Sand Filter, Motorised Hand Held Pineapple Harvester, Low Cost Turmeric/Ginger Rhizome Washer), NECTAR fish feeds, CAU Bioenhancer and Jhum-Bioenhancer, banana macro-propagation and citrus grafting techniques, the Kaunayen Manipuri poultry breed, vermicompost technology, solar/biomass dryers, and value-added food products. Technology transfer to farmers is delivered through KVK networks, Regional Agri Fairs, and Farmer Science Congress events.

The university's revenue model is overwhelmingly government-funded: statutory allocations from the Government of India through DARE/ICAR form the core, supplemented by the National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP)—a US$165 million World Bank-Government of India 50:50 co-financed initiative running from 2017-18. As a public institution, tuition follows government fee structures that are not publicly disclosed. Strategic partners include ICAR (academic guidance and funding), the World Bank (NAHEP co-financing), and ICAR-ATARI/NBAIR (extension and training collaboration). Leadership comprises Prof. Pradeep Kumar Joshi as Chancellor and Dr. Anupam Mishra as Vice-Chancellor.

Central Agricultural University firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Central Agricultural University
Legal name: Central Agricultural University
Website: https://cau.ac.in
Company type: Public
Founded year: 1993
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 501–1,000 employees
Short description: Central Agricultural University is a public central university in Imphal, India, established in 1993 by an Act of Parliament, delivering agricultural education, region-specific research, and extension services across 12 constituent colleges and 15 KVKs serving the North Eastern Hill states.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Central Agricultural University industry classification

Industry

Product category: Higher Education - Agricultural Sciences
NAICS: Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Vegetable and Melon Farming (1112), Soil Preparation, Planting, and Cultivating (115112)
SIC: Services-Educational Services (8200), Agricultural Production-Crops (100), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)
akta.pro primary industry: Agricultural Production & Farm Operations (EDAOAOAA)
akta.pro secondary industries: Agriculture & Food Production (EDABALAA), Nutrient Management Planning & Fertility Programs (AFACABAB)

Keywords

Agricultural education
Agricultural research
Agricultural extension services
Crop variety development
Veterinary sciences education

Where Central Agricultural University is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Imphal
HQ country: India
HQ region: Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

Central Agricultural University business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

Government Funding: Central Agricultural University is established by an act of Parliament and receives funding from the Government of India through DARE/ICAR. The university operates as a public educational institution primarily funded through government allocations.
NAHEP Project Funding: Funding through National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) - a World Bank and Government of India (50:50) funded project with total cost of US$ 165 million for infrastructure, faculty development, and student advancement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Central Agricultural University product offering

Product offering

Core offering

Central Agricultural University provides agricultural higher education, applied research, and extension services across the North Eastern Hill (NEH) region of India through 12 constituent colleges and 15 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs). It offers undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and certificate programs in agriculture, horticulture, veterinary sciences, fisheries, food technology, agricultural engineering, and community science. The university also develops region-specific crop varieties, farming technologies, agricultural equipment, and bioenhancers, which are transferred to farmers through extension programs and KVK networks.

Product overview

Central Agricultural University operates as an agricultural education and research institution with a portfolio of academic programs and agricultural products/technologies. The university's offerings include: academic programs such as Paravet Certificate Course and Remote Sensing & GIS Course; publications including CAU Farm Magazine (quarterly), CAU Newsletter (quarterly), CAU Souvenir (annual), and CAU Kishn Diary/Nirdeshika (annual); and agricultural technologies encompassing 4 notified rice varieties (CAU-R1/R2/R3/R4), NECTAR fish feeds, citrus wedge grafting, banana propagation, bioenhancers, post-harvest equipment (solar dryer, pineapple processing machines, biomass dryer), value-added food products, and the Kaunayen poultry breed. The portfolio serves students, farmers, and agri-entrepreneurs across the North Eastern Hill regions of India.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

Agricultural Academic Programs
Paravet Certificate Course
Remote Sensing and GIS Certificate Course
CAU Publications
Notified Rice Varieties (CAU-R1, R2, R3, R4)
NECTAR Fish Feeds
Kaunayen Poultry Breed
CAU Bioenhancers
Patented Agricultural Equipment

Quantifiable outcome

24th rank out of 173 agricultural universities in NIRF 2025

Companies that use Central Agricultural University

Customer profile

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Central Agricultural University technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Central Agricultural University partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017CAU operates under the supervision of ICAR through Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Government of India. ICAR provides academic guidance, funding support through NAHEP, and overall coordination for agricultural education in India.
NAHEP - National Agricultural Higher Education ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAHEP aims to develop resources and mechanisms for supporting infrastructure, faculty and student advancement, and better governance of agricultural universities. CAU participates through Institutional Development Plan (IDP) and Centres for Advanced Agricultural Science and Technology (CAAST).
ICAR-ATARI Zone VI & VIIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAU collaborates with ICAR- Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute for organizing Regional Agri Fairs, Farmers Science Congress, and extension education activities.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Central Agricultural University competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Broad incumbents

Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI): India's premier national agricultural research and post-graduate education institute under ICAR. Directly comparable as a public agricultural university/research institution delivering degree programs, research output, and notified crop varieties at national scale.

Direct peers

G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology: State agricultural university delivering agricultural education, research, and extension across crop, horticulture, and animal sciences. Comparable in structure (multi-college university, KVKs, ICAR affiliation) and serves as India's first state agricultural university.
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU): Major state agricultural university offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across agriculture, horticulture, and allied sciences with strong technology commercialisation track record. Highly comparable peer in mission, structure, and output mix.
Punjab Agricultural University (PAU): Historic agricultural university with high NIRF ranking, robust research output, and a strong extension network (KVKs). Comparable as a public agricultural teaching-research-extension institution serving a major agrarian region.
Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University: Large state agricultural university serving Andhra Pradesh with constituent colleges, research stations, and KVKs. Comparable multi-college public agricultural university model focused on region-specific crop and livestock research.
Assam Agricultural University: The premier agricultural university serving the NEH-adjacent state of Assam with constituent colleges, research, and extension programs. Highly comparable regional peer with overlapping agricultural research priorities.
CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya: Hill-state agricultural university focused on mountain agriculture, horticulture, and region-specific crop varieties. Comparable as a public agricultural university serving hilly terrain with similar extension mandate via KVKs.
Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth: Maharashtra state agricultural university with multi-college structure, agricultural research, and KVK-led extension services. Comparable in scale, structure, and core agricultural teaching-research-extension model.
Kerala Agricultural University: Southern state agricultural university offering degree programs across agriculture, horticulture, fisheries, and veterinary sciences with strong research and KVK network. Comparable public agricultural university with similar college mix and research mandate.
Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology: Eastern Indian state agricultural university with multi-faculty structure covering agriculture, veterinary, fisheries, and community science. Comparable as a public university with regional focus on agriculture and allied sciences research and extension.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Central Agricultural University financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Central Agricultural University leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Central Agricultural University subsidiaries and ownership

Company hierarchy

Subsidiaries13 records

Central Agricultural University funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Central Agricultural University M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Central Agricultural University

What does Central Agricultural University do?

Is Central Agricultural University a public or private company?

Central Agricultural University is a public company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.

When was Central Agricultural University founded?

Central Agricultural University was founded in 1993. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.

Where is Central Agricultural University based?

Central Agricultural University is headquartered in Imphal, India, in the Asia region.

How does Central Agricultural University make money?

Two revenue lines are on record. Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are NAHEP Project Funding.

Who are Central Agricultural University's main competitors?

Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) is listed as a broad incumbent. Direct peers are G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University, Assam Agricultural University, CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vishvavidyalaya, Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Kerala Agricultural University and Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology.

Does Central Agricultural University have an API?

No public API is recorded for Central Agricultural University.

What industry is Central Agricultural University in?

Central Agricultural University's product category is Higher Education - Agricultural Sciences. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAOAOAA, Agricultural Production & Farm Operations, with a secondary code of EDABALAA, Agriculture & Food Production. Its NAICS code is 6113 and its SIC code is 8200.