The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination, and promotion of biomedical research. It is a Government Organisation and an autonomous body under the Department of Health Research (DHR), which falls under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The ICMR is not a statutory or regulatory body.
Its origin dates back to 1911, when the then British Government of India established the Indian Research Fund Association (IRFA) to sponsor and coordinate medical research. The IRFA was later redesignated and renamed the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in 1949, significantly expanding its scope of functions.
The ICMR works by conducting and promoting research through a network of 28 national institutes, such as the National Institute of Virology (NIV) in Pune and the National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) in Hyderabad. It also provides grants for extramural research in universities and medical colleges. A key mechanism is the Clinical Trials Registry - India (CTRI), which the ICMR established in 2007 as a public record system for clinical trials. Trial registration at the CTRI was made mandatory by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) after June 15, 2009.
Recently, in February 2026, the ICMR issued a new mandate to prioritize clinical trials based on Indian body types and lifestyles, aiming to generate homegrown evidence instead of relying solely on Western data. This mandate encourages multi-centre trials across at least five hospitals, with government funding of up to ₹8 crore per trial. Furthermore, in April 2026, the National Animal Resource Facility for Biomedical Research (ICMR-NARFBR) was renamed and upgraded to the National Institute for Pre-Clinical Research (NIPCR) to serve as a comprehensive hub for pre-clinical research.