About the Centre

Who we are

Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (IFCPAR/CEFIPRA) is a model for international collaborative research in advanced areas of Science & Technology. The Centre was established in 1987 and is being supported by the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India and the Ministry for Europe & Foreign Affairs, Government of France. CEFIPRA is actively involved in supporting Indo-French Science, Technology & Innovation (ST&I) system through various activities.

• Scientific Collaborative Research Programme focuses on academia-to-academia collaborations between Indian and French academic collaborators in various domains.
• Industry-Academia Research & Development Programme emphasizes developing the linkage between Industry and Academia from France and India.
• Dedicated mobility support programmes of CEFIPRA provide exposure to young researchers to the working, social and cultural environment of the partnering country.
• Targeted Programmes of CEFIPRA provide a platform for Indian and French National Funding Agencies to implement programmes for specific areas.
• Innovation programmes through PPP mode, are the programmes where industries join hands with CEFIPRA as a funding partner for supporting R & D in defined priority areas.

Mandate

To promote collaborative research between India and France in cutting edge Science and Technology

Genesis

The idea of setting up a joint Centre for promoting collaboration between Indian and French scientists came up first during a discussion between the then-Indian Prime Minister and the then-French President. This suggestion was reiterated by the then-French in 1980.

The first formal proposal for the Centre was made during the second meeting of the Indo-French Joint Committee for co-operation in Science and Technology which took place in Paris, in January 1982. After a series of meetings between representatives of the two governments, the formal decision to set up the Centre was taken through an exchange of letters between the Foreign Secretary of India and Sécretaire Général of the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs in 1985.

The Centre was registered on 16th April 1986 as a Society under the Indian Societies Registration Act 1860. The Governing Body of the Centre first met in May 1987 and the Centre became functional on September 9, 1987, when the first Director of the Centre assumed charge.