Introduction

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The Centre for Soft Matter Research (CSMR)  is an autonomous institution under the  administrative control of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology. DST has been providing core support to the Centre in the form of a grant-in-aid for conducting basic and applied research in liquid crystals and related areas. 
The Centre is governed by a Council constituted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and Technology. Government of India.
 
Over the years, liquid crystal research has transformed into a truly interdisciplinary area. Traditionally the emphasis in the subject was on thermotropic liquid crystals in which physics, chemistry and engineering each played a major role. In recent times, the trend is towards lyotropic liquid crystals many of which mimic some biological systems. In coming years, the Centre plans to give a major thrust to these interdisciplinary areas (including biology) under the umbrella of soft condensed matter.
 
Background
 
CLCR was established in 1991 by Prof.S. Chandrasekhar, FRS after his retirement from the Raman Research Institute, Bangalore in the year 1990. It was registered as a scientific society in Karnataka with the objective to build a centre of excellence which will have a focus on basic science, and would also develop a bias towards technology, keeping in line with the international trends on liquid crystals materials and devices.

In the beginning, it was funded by an ad-hoc grant from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and from the funds made available by the Raman Research Institute Trust. The Centre was taken over in 1995 by the Govt. of India, and converted to an autonomous institution under the Department of Information Technology.  In the year 2003 , the Centre came under the administrative control of the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India.