CSIR-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST)

The National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram (formerly known as the Regional Research Laboratory), has been recognized for its excellent contributions in areas such as spice & oilseeds processing, bu s in areas such as spice & oilseeds processing, building materials, premium quality aluminium castings, processing and value addition of clays and minerals, organic photonic materials and environmental monitoring and remediation. The Institute has been consistently ranked as one of the top performing Institutes in terms of quality and quantity of its research publications. The evolution of a small regional specific laboratory into a scientifically and technologically vibrant premier national institution with international visibility was achieved in phases by the untiring and dedicated efforts of its leadership and staff. The institute’s genesis was at the request of Sri. C Achutha Menon, the then chief minister of Kerala and a visionary. Based on his request, a high level committee of CSIR visited Kerala and it was decided to set up laboratories in Trivandrum and Cochin. The Industrial Testing & Research Laboratory (ITRL) of the state industries department at Pappanamcode, Trivandrum was handed over to be developed as the CSIR-Trivandrum complex in October 1975. NIIST was conceived as the CSIR-Trivandrum complex on 1 October 1975 under the leadership of Dr. B. L. Amala, the then Director of CFTRI. The intention was to establish a research laboratory for the utilization of regional resources and also to attend to the technical problems of the industries in the State. Staff members from the CFTRI experimental station at Trichur, Spices Research Section of CFTRI, Mysore and a few scientists from other CSIR laboratories as well as nine members of ITRL were absorbed to form the nucleus of the laboratory’s scientific and technical manpower. The birth of an independent R&D laboratory with an approved mandate was declared on 6 October 1978 under the Founder Directorship of Prof. P. K. Rohatgi. It was christened as the Regional Research Laboratory, Trivandrum. During its infancy, the Institute was nurtured well by the dynamic leadership of Prof. Rohatgi. He initiated R&D activities in cast metal matrix composites, plantation- based materials as well as research related to mineral resources of Kerala. The first change of leadership occurred in May 1981 when Dr. A. G. Mathew took over as the Acting Director of the Institute. Dr. Mathew contributed towards augmenting the infrastructural facilities. His major research contributions include: (i) process for making better quality spice oleoresins using a two-stage process and (ii) making dehydrated green pepper. ...view more