ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research

The Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) is an autonomous organization that serves as a nodal agency for basic, strategic, anticipatory and applied research on horticulture in India, covering fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, medicinal and aromatic plants, and mushrooms. Headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka, it functions as a subsidiary of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare. Established on 5 September 1967 in New Delhi, it was the first horticultural research institute under ICAR. Its base was moved to Hesaraghatta, near Bangalore, on 1 February 1968, by merging with the National Horatorium of the Government of Karnataka, previously the Fruit Research Station established in 1938 by H.C. Javaraya. The institute spans 263 hectares, and Dr. Gurcharan Singh Randhawa served as its first director from 1967 to 1980. IIHR's mandate includes research to enhance productivity of horticultural crops, acting as a repository of scientific information, training scientific manpower, and collaborating with national and international agencies. It also offers farmer services through the Agriculture Technology Information Center, and operates divisions covering Fruit Crops, Vegetable Crops, Flower and Medicinal Crops, and Crop Protection.