French Institute of Pondicherry

The French Institute of Pondicherry (Institut français de Pondichéry) is a public institution under the joint supervision of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), forming part of the CNRS's “Savoirs et Mondes indiens” Research Support Unit along with the Centre de Sciences humaines in New Delhi. It was inaugurated on 21 March 1955 as the Institut Français d'Indologie, under its first director Jean Filliozat, initially focusing on Indian civilization, history, and religions of South India. Over time, it expanded to include a Department of Ecology, a Department of Social Sciences (established 1988), and a geomatics department (GeoSMIT, formerly LAIG). The institute conducts research on heritage and environment, encompassing religious studies, urban policy, biodiversity, and climate change. It houses a library of 70,000 books and significant scientific collections, including 8,500 palm-leaf manuscripts recognized by UNESCO's “Memory of the World” program as the largest collection of Saivasiddhanta texts. The IFP also engages in training, expertise, and partnerships with organizations such as the Agence Française de Développement and the Government of Puducherry.