Government of Maharashtra emblem

The Institute of Science

Mumbai

Lead Institute of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, Mumbai

Menu
Home
About
Overview History Mission & Vision Director's Message Alumni
Academics
Programs Departments Facilities Faculty
Mandatory Disclosure
Right to Information 100 Days Action Plan Report
Activities
Contact
Apply now Admission enquiry
Apply now
New Ph.D. Physics Admission 2026-27 - Qualified and Non-Qualified Candidates All notices
New Ph.D. Physics Admission 2026-27 - Qualified and Non-Qualified Candidates New Ph.D. Mathematics Admission 2026-27 - Eligible Candidates for Interview New Ph.D. Microbiology Admission 2026-27 - Interview Eligibility List New Ph.D. Biotechnology Admission 2026-27 - Interview Eligibility List New Ph.D. Chemistry Admission 2026-27 - Interview Eligibility List New Ph.D. Biochemistry Admission 2026-27 - Interview Eligibility List New Ph.D. Environmental Science Admission 2026-27 - Eligible Candidates for Interview New Ph.D. Botany Admission 2026-27 - Eligible Candidates for Interview
Archival aerial view of the Institute of Science and the Cowasji Jehangir Hall in Mumbai

Institutional history | 1903 to the present

The Institute of Science, Mumbai

From a civic vision for scientific research to the lead institute of a state university, the Institute has shaped advanced science education in Mumbai for more than a century.

The idea takes form
1903
Foundation stone laid
1911
Institute formally opened
1920
Lead institute of HBSU
2019

The beginning

A public institution imagined for science

The Institute did not begin with a building. It began with a conviction that Bombay needed an institution devoted to scientific teaching and research.

In 1903, educationist Dr. Dugald Mackichan argued for an institution dedicated to scientific research in Bombay. Chemist Morris W. Travers reinforced the case, and Governor Lord Sydenham subsequently appealed to the city's citizens to help establish it. [1]

Bombay's philanthropic community supplied much of the financial foundation. Sir Cowasji Jehangir supported the Institute building and public hall; Sir Jacob Sassoon and Sir Currimbhoy Ibrahim made major gifts, while the Government of Bombay also contributed. The Maharashtra State Gazetteer records a total fund of Rs. 25 lakh for the project. [1]

Lord Sydenham laid the foundation stone on 5 April 1911. The building was completed in 1915, but the First World War changed its immediate purpose: it was requisitioned for use as the Gerard Freeman Thomas Hospitals. The Royal Institute of Science and the adjoining Cowasji Jehangir Hall were formally inaugurated on 27 March 1920. [1]

Stone facade and main entrance of The Institute of Science, Mumbai
The main facade on Madam Cama Road. Its curved wings remain a defining presence in Mumbai's Fort precinct.

Chronology

The Institute through time

Dates in this chronology are drawn from government and university records listed below.

  1. 1903

    An idea for Bombay

    The case for a scientific institute

    Dr. Dugald Mackichan and Morris W. Travers advanced the need for an institution dedicated to science and research in the city. [1]

  2. 1911

    Building the institution

    Foundation stone laid

    Lord Sydenham laid the foundation stone on 5 April. Architect George Wittet designed the landmark complex in the Fort district. [1] [4]

  3. 1915-20

    War and opening

    From wartime hospital to scientific centre

    Although completed in 1915, the building served as a hospital during the First World War. It formally opened as the Royal Institute of Science on 27 March 1920. [1]

  4. 1948

    Independent India

    The Institute of Science

    The Royal Institute of Science was renamed The Institute of Science, marking its place in independent India's public education system. [2]

  5. 2008

    Academic recognition

    Potential for excellence

    The Institute was recognised by the University Grants Commission as a Centre with Potential for Excellence. [2]

  6. 2014

    Quality and research

    NAAC Grade A

    The National Assessment and Accreditation Council reaccredited the Institute with Grade A. [3]

  7. 2019

    A new university chapter

    Lead institute of HBSU

    The Institute became the lead institute of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University, Maharashtra's first cluster university. [3]

Wide street view of the curved Institute of Science heritage building
The curved frontage of the Institute complex, designed by George Wittet.

Architecture and place

A scientific landmark in the Fort precinct

George Wittet designed the Institute complex with long curved wings and a strong civic scale. Its yellow Kharodi basalt exterior was composed to sit alongside the nineteenth-century Gothic landmarks of South Mumbai. [5]

The original composition joined the Institute to the Cowasji Jehangir Public Hall. The hall later became the National Gallery of Modern Art, Mumbai, opening in that role in 1996; the shared architectural ensemble remains an important part of the Kala Ghoda cultural district. [4]

Behind the street-facing arc, the historic campus was planned with spaces for a botanical garden, herbarium and park. That relationship between laboratories, collections and living scientific material expresses the Institute's educational purpose in the architecture itself. [5]

Continuity and change

A postgraduate research tradition enters a new chapter

Across its successive names and administrative settings, the Institute has remained centred on postgraduate science teaching and research. Official university records describe it as a government-managed centre where interdisciplinary and multi-institutional research supports advanced scientific education. [3]

The 2019 formation of Dr. Homi Bhabha State University connected the Institute's historic research identity with a broader cluster model. As lead institute, it shares that university with other long-established government colleges while retaining its own scientific character. [3]

Explore academic departments Meet distinguished alumni

Documentation

Sources

Historical claims on this page are tied to the government, university and institutional records below.

  1. [1] Maharashtra State Gazetteer - Greater Bombay District Government of Maharashtra Origin, benefactors, foundation stone, wartime use and 1920 inauguration.
  2. [2] 100 Days Action Plan Report The Institute of Science / Dr. Homi Bhabha State University Official institutional chronology for 1920, 1948, 2008 and 2019.
  3. [3] HBSU Annual Report, Academic Year 2019-20 Dr. Homi Bhabha State University Lead-institute status, university formation, accreditation and academic role.
  4. [4] NGMA Mumbai - History National Gallery of Modern Art, Ministry of Culture George Wittet, the shared complex and the Cowasji Jehangir Hall.
  5. [5] The Institute of Science - Mumbai Architecture Tata Institute of Fundamental Research Architectural form, stone, setting and the landscape behind the curved facade.