About Us

The Indian Institute of Maize Research (IIMR) is a constituent of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) – an autonomous organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE), Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India. The IIMR is the only institute of the country exclusively mandated for maize research and is entrusted with the overall responsibility of research, coordination and management of the multidisciplinary programmes on maize improvement at national level and maintaining linkages with international programmes. The institute also undertakes scientific human resource development programmes involving national and international agencies/organizations.

In India, organized research on maize improvement started in 1957 under the auspices of the All India Coordinated Maize Improvement Project (AICMIP), which this was the first in a series of coordinated projects under the ICAR system. The AICMIP was established after recommendation from renowned maize breeders, Dr. E.J. Wellhausen and Dr. U.J. Grant of Rockefeller Foundation. The AICMIP was upgraded to the Directorate of Maize Research in January 1994 with mandates to organize, conduct, coordinate and generate technology for continuous enhancement in productivity and production of maize.

Looking to the growing importance of maize and future challenges in Indian agriculture, ICAR strategically upgraded the Directorate of Maize Research to the Indian Institute of Maize Research on 13 November 2014 to further strengthen and fortify the maize research programme of the country for meeting the ever increasing demand of maize in human food, animal feed and industrial raw material.