The National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), a constituent of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR, an autonomous body under the Government of India), was established in 1961 with the mission to be the premier geophysical research institute in India. It has acquired a special recognition both in India and abroad for its research excellence and multidisciplinary R&D programs in earth system sciences. We are now recognized as an ISO 9001-Organisation.

NGRI has been working on regional and global problems, which address the structure and evolution of the earth, with special reference to Indian shield and active plate boundaries of the Indian plate. The extensive research programs and developmental activities have provided many benefits for socio-economic development of the society and played a very supportive role in exploration for hydrocarbons and minerals, assessment and management of ground water resources, environmental studies, engineering geophysics, earthquake hazard assessment, history of Earth’s evolution in space, seismology, and Earth’s interior with special reference to lithosphere and geodynamical studies.

This Institute allows one to be involved in virtually everything in the field of earth system science. A blend of basic and applied research in various disciplines of Earth systems is achievable at NGRI because of its dedicated staff: we have about 200 experienced scientists and an equal number of highly skilled technical staff for carrying out intensive laboratory and field experiments. NGRI has signed memoranda of understanding with many national and international scientific bodies in order to exchange expertise for scientific benefits. Internationally, we have bilateral scientific exchange programs with Germany, France, Norway, the USA, Bulgaria, and Russia. Many students from developed and Third World countries have come here to pursue their doctoral theses under the Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), which has declared NGRI as the "Centre of Excellence."

In 2005-06, NGRI ranked No. 1 amongst the 38 laboratories of CSIR, earning an External Cash Flow (ECF) of 310 Million Rupees (INR), which is 1/10^th of the total ECF of CSIR. In response to the developments and new orientation of CSIR policies, contract research work, and field investigations of the Institute are crossing 160 to 200 Million Rupees every year. We had 138 research publications in the Scientific Citation Index (SCI) in 2006. The Institute is now diverting its attention to "Patenting" its innovative research output, keeping the importance of market-driven forces in view. NGRI has filed several patents in the US, of which seven have already been granted. One of these patents has been commercialized.

NGRI activities mainly focus on controlled source seismology, gas hydrate studies, earthquake processes, magneto-tellurics, gravity, magnetic, electromagnetic and Deep Resistivity Studies (DRS), crustal growth processes, geochemical surveys, etc., for its applied research programs. The Institute has also contributed significantly in the field of earthquake hazard assessment studies as well as other natural hazards. NGRI scientists have produced some seminal work related to the understanding of reservoir-triggered earthquakes through extensive seismic surveillance in the Koyna region and several other dam sites. Airborne geophysics, helium emanometry, and DRS have provided new insights into oil and mineral exploration programs.

The major facilities available at NGRI include:

• Mineral Physics Laboratory with high-pressure Diamond Anvil Cell (DAC), ultra high resolution (0.02/cm) double monochorometer, and micro-Raman spectrometer.
• High-pressure laboratory consisting of Keithly electrometer, strain-measuring sensors, universal testing machine (100 tons), and Bridgeman-Birch high-pressure apparatus.
• In-situ stress measurement facility consisting of hydraulic equipment.
• Rock magnetism laboratory consisting of astatic magnetometer, digital spinner magnetometer, alternating magnetic field and thermal demagnetizers, high-field and low-field hysteresis and susceptibility meter.
• Geochemical laboratory consisting of fully automated X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (XRF), Atomic Absorption Spectrometer, Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICPMS), and Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA).
• Geochronology and isotope geochemistry laboratory with facilities for Rb-Sr, Sm-Nd, and Pb-Pb analyses.
• EM, Resistivity, and IP Model Laboratories.
• Continuous Flow Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer Laboratory (CFIRMS).
• Helium Emanometry, Heatflow and Radiometry Laboratory.
• Tritium and carbon dating laboratory for groundwater.
• Centralized computing facilities: PC-LAN and an array of Sun Workstations.
• Thermoluminescence (TR) Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating facility.
• Absolute Gravity Lab.
• Airborne magnetic and electromagnetic surveys.

The scientific contributions of the Institute have been recognized both at national and international levels. NGRI scientists have received many Fellowships of Academies and national awards like the Padmasri, Bhatnagar Prize, National Mineral Award, FAPCCI Award, FICCI Award, Young Scientist Awards of INSA/CSIR/AP Academy of Sciences, Krishnan Medal of the Indian Geophysical Union, and many more from other scientific organizations. Scientists of the Institute have also received international awards such as the Kharazmi Award of the Government of Iran, as well as the "Lorenz Award Lecture," instituted by the American Geophysical Union (AGU), which will be delivered at the AGU Fall Meeting in San Francisco in December 2007. Biographies of several of them have been included in various editions of Who’s Who in the World, Outstanding Scientists of the World, etc.