ICMR National Institute for Vector Control Research (ICMR-NIVCR) is a premier institute of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) dedicated to research on vector-borne diseases. Established in 1975, the institute has completed five decades of excellence in research, innovation, and capacity building, making significant contributions to the prevention, control, and elimination of vector-borne diseases in India.
Headquartered in Puducherry, with field stations at Kottayam (Kerala), Koraput (Odisha), and Madurai (Tamil Nadu), NIVCR undertakes multidisciplinary research on major vector-borne diseases, including lymphatic filariasis, malaria, dengue, chikungunya, Japanese encephalitis, Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), leishmaniasis, and scrub typhus.
Over the years, the institute has played a pivotal role in strengthening India's vector-borne disease control programmes. Working closely with the National Centre for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC) and State Health Departments, it has generated scientific evidence that has informed national policies, surveillance strategies, vector control interventions, and monitoring and evaluation frameworks. Among its major contributions is the development of sampling strategies for molecular xenomonitoring for post-Mass Drug Administration (post-MDA) surveillance, mapping and remapping of LF-endemic areas, and monitoring and evaluation protocols for accelerated MDA with IDA (ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, and albendazole) in the country. In addition, it has developed several technologies, vector surveillance tools, biological control products, and other innovations, including biopesticide Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (VCRC B-17), which has successfully transferred for commercial production. To strengthen translational research, NIVCR has established a Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)-compliant facility for the evaluation of novel vector control products in accordance with WHO standards.
The institute is currently leading several major national and international collaborative research initiatives. These include as a GFATM-funded multi-site malaria study across 10 states in collaboration with NCVBDC; a Wellcome Trust-funded study on dengue-Zika co-infection in Kerala; and Gates Foundation-supported studies addressing 'never-treated' populations in MDA; risk of post-MDA LF transmission through migrant populations and insecticide resistance in malaria vectors. The institute is also developing multiplex molecular xenomonitoring panels for the simultaneous detection of filarial, malarial, and arboviral pathogens and is conducting a nationwide tick and animal survey to understand the ecology and transmission dynamics of KFD.
The Koraput Field Station has been actively engaged in malaria research in southern Odisha since 1985, with a primary focus on vector bionomics, vector control and studies on insecticide resistance. The station has conducted Phase II and Phase III evaluations of Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) formulations and Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets (LLINs) through its experimental huts, generating evidence to support the national malaria control programme. The centre provides regular technical support to state health authorities through outbreak investigations and capacity-building initiatives.
The Kottayam Field Station has demonstrated chikungunya and dengue control through an integrated vector management (IVM) strategy in rubber plantation areas, and established DNA barcoding of common mosquito species. The centre also identified a mutation in the Chikungunya virus envelope gene (A226V) which enhances viral transmission by Aedes albopictus. It discovered a new predatory species, Platynectes sahyadriensis, with potential as a biological control agent for Aedes albopictus. The station carried out genetic characterization of all four dengue serotypes circulating in Kerala and documented a serotype/genotype shift in DENV during the 2017 Trivandrum outbreak. It also confirmed the involvement of Leishmania donovani in cutaneous leishmaniasis among the Kani tribal population of the Western Ghats.
The Madurai Field Station has made significant contributions to research on mosquito biodiversity across diverse ecological regions, including the Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, mangrove ecosystems, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands A notable achievement was the incrimination of Ochlerotatus niveus as the vector of sub-periodic bancroftian filariasis in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The station established a Japanese Encephalitis surveillance network in Tamil Nadu and standardized a novel methodology for isolating JE virus using Toxorhynchites splendens mosquitoes. It also demonstrated that combination therapy with DEC and Albendazole improves filarial control. Subsequently, the Toxo-IFA system was adapted for dengue virus detection and serotyping, including optimization for antigen detection in desiccated Aedes aegypti specimens.
Capacity building remains one of our core priorities. As a WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Lymphatic Filariasis and Integrated Vector Management, the institute has trained public health professionals from several countries across the South-East Asia Region and Pacific regions. In 2026, we conducted an international training programme on the implementation of the new WHO Lymphatic Filariasis Monitoring and Evaluation Manual, bringing together participants from 10 countries across the South-East Asia and Pacific regions. Our M.Sc. Programme in Public Health Entomology, offered under the aegis of Pondicherry University, together with our Ph.D. programme and national and international academic collaborations, continues to nurture the next generation of researchers and public health professionals.
The achievements of the institute are the result of the dedication and perseverance of its scientists, technical staff, students, administrative personnel, and collaborators. Over the past three years alone, our scientists have published more than 220 peer-reviewed research articles, reflecting the institute's sustained commitment to scientific excellence. I sincerely acknowledge the continued support of ICMR, the Department of Health Research, NCVBDC, State Health Departments, funding agencies, academic institutions, and our national and international partners.
As we look to the future, we remain committed to advancing scientific excellence, fostering innovation, strengthening multidisciplinary collaborations, and translating research into impactful public health solutions. Building on our rich legacy of five decades, we aspire to further establish NIVCR as a global centre of excellence in vector-borne disease research, innovation, and capacity building, thereby contributing to the control, and elimination of vector-borne diseases in India and beyond.