The Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) is a National Research Institute and an autonomous unit of the Department of Space (DoS), Government of India, located in Ahmedabad. Known as the cradle of Space Sciences in India, it carries out fundamental research in space and allied sciences. PRL was founded on November 11, 1947, by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, who later became the father of the Indian space program. The institute's origin was a modest beginning at Sarabhai's residence, with the initial focus on research into cosmic rays and the properties of the upper atmosphere. The problem it solved was establishing a front-rank institute for basic research in these areas.
The laboratory was formally established at the M.G. Science Institute, Ahmedabad, with Prof. Kalpathi Ramakrishna Ramanathan as its first Director. PRL's mechanism involves conducting research across six major scientific divisions, including Astronomy and Astrophysics, Planetary and Geosciences, and Theoretical Physics. It connects directly to the Indian space ecosystem as a unit of the DoS and is instrumental in the PLANEX planetary science and exploration programme. PRL manages key facilities like the Udaipur Solar Observatory and the Mount Abu InfraRed Observatory. While its core function of basic research has remained constant since 1947, its work has evolved to include recent contributions to the Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 missions, and the discovery of exoplanet EPIC 211945201b in June 2018.