Central Leather Research Institute (CSRI)

Soon after India attained independence in 1947, the first government of the country led by Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru focused on Industrialisation.  As a part of that, several research laboratories and institutes, such as National Physical Laboratory in New Delhi, National Chemical Laboratory in Pune, National Metallurgical Laboratory in Jamshedpur, Fuel Research Institute in Dhanbad, Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute in Kolkata, were set up across the country.  It had been a land mark call of the country to speculate into animal skin analysis. In 1947, the export basket of India enclosed largely raw hides and skins. There remained an untapped chance for India in animal skin sector for economic development, employment generation and export earnings. The primitive person was addition of technology to the producing base of Indian animal skin sector.   In April 1948, the then Central Minister of Industry and Supply Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee laid the foundation stone in the Guindy region of Chennai. Madras State awarded 75 acres to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Rupees 4,000  towards expenses for levelling the land and making it suitable for building construction.

Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), India was founded on 24 April, 1948 to develop an internal strength in the country to generate, assimilate and innovate technologies for leather sector. The mission of the institute is to provide S&T innovation for industrial and societal development for leather as well as design, develop & deliver knowledge and technologies for gainful application in leather sector.  The role of CSIR-CLRI in scientific industrial research space of India is very focused. Objective of the institute is to meet the needs of the leather and allied sectors through research, technology development and transfer, training and industrial support and formulation of policies and plan of action that ensures a technology based competitive advantage for Indian leather.  CLRI is striving to emerge as a global leader in leather research. The technological services of the institute are as durable as leather.  Leather and allied research in CLRI form core areas of activities. There is critical strength for research and development in some critical areas of sciences and technology. Research in CLRI includes non-leather as well. The strength of CLRI stems from the competence of the people, R&D infrastructure, and linkages with the users.  CLRI was supported to develop an interior strength within the country to get, assimilate and pioneer technologies for animal skin sector.

Leather technology, which deals with tanning raw hides and skins and finishing the tanned leather to impart to it the specific properties which it should have to be suitable for making particular types of leather articles either for military or civilian use, although very old, is still making progress. Its progress has been due to the application of various branches of science to it and research which is being carried out to explain the principles underlying the old craft of tanning, to throw light on the mechanism whereby the profound change viz., the conversion of putrescible raw hides and skins into imputrescible and permanent leather is brought about to improve the old techniques of leather manufacture and to work out new techniques with the help of modern science and machinery.  CSIR-CLRI was to deal with all aspects of the leather industry. It carries out research and development in areas such as adapted preservation methods for new hides and skins, improvement of existing leather with respect to shrinkage and color fastness, tanning and finishing techniques, control of environmental pollution, and product design and development of garments, shoes and other articles. The institute also offers technical assistance through training courses on design development, sample making and fabrication, consultancy, preparation of feasibility reports, quality control, among various other activities.

Central Leather Research Institute or CLRI is the world's largest leather research institute in terms of research papers and patents. CLRI, founded as a constituent laboratory under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), is located in Guindy, opposite to the prestigious IIT-Madras, in the heart of Chennai, Tamil Nadu.  The CLRI Eco-campus lies in the 80 odd acres of land. The research buildings within the campus are surrounded by rich foliage of flora and fauna wherein exist 190 odd varieties of trees and shrubs, several species of birds – resident and migratory, butterflies and wildlife that includes spotted deers.

Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai offers Bachelor of Technology - [B.Tech] in Leather Technology, Diploma in Engineering in Leather Technology and Master of Technology - [M.Tech] in  Leather Technology and [M.Tech] in Footwear Science &  Leather Tech.  The Insitute also offers Doctorate of Philosophy - [Ph.D.] in Leather Technology, Footwear Science & Engg and Chemical Engg.  CLRI is affiliated to Anna University.

Centre for Academic and Research Excellence (CARE) aspires to ensure high quality education in leather and leather products manufacture through the academic collaboration with Anna University. CARE aspires to inspire young minds to make a difference for the leather sector and create them as change agents for a better society. The department aims to attract young talents to pursue cutting edge research at CSIR-CLRI through Anna University, Madras University, AcSIR, various other Universities and thereby achieving research excellence in leather and allied areas. The major research activities of the department is on the development of sustainable technologies for leather and creating high value biological products.

Centre for Academic and Research Excellence (CARE) - a unit of CSIR-CLRI, aspires to ensure high quality education in leather and leather products manufacture through the academic collaboration with Anna University.  CARE aspires to inspire young minds to make a difference for the leather sector and create them as change agents for a better society. The department aims to attract young talents to pursue cutting edge research at CSIR-CLRI through Anna University, Madras University, AcSIR, various other Universities and thereby achieving research excellence in leather and allied areas. The major research activities of the department is on the development of sustainable technologies for leather and creating high value biological products.

• CARE conducts Undergraduate and Post Graduate Courses in collaboration with Anna University in Leather Technology leading to B. Tech., and M.Tech and Post Graduate Course in Footwear Science & Engineering leading to M.Tech. Department of Leather Technology of Anna University is housed under CARE.

• CSIR-CLRI is a centre of higher learning and research leading to doctoral programmes of various Universities (AcSIR, Anna University, University of Madras, etc.,), in the disciplines of Biological, Chemical Engineering, Information, Leather and Physical Sciences.

• International exchange programmes for foreign scholars from developing countries (Ethiopia, Cameroon, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania etc.,) are established, to pursue research in emerging areas of leather science and technology leading to Post Graduate and PhD degrees.

The institute houses departments such as Chemical and Physical Sciences, Biological Sciences, Engineering Sciences and Information Sciences. Besides this, the institute has four regional extension centers in Ahmedabad, Jalandhar, Kanpur and Kolkata.

While It is one thing to style and develop technologies,  it is entirely another thing to achieve viable technologies during an ancient time and that too on a sector like animal skin. CLRI in 1948, created associate degree initiative with foresight to link technology system with each academy and business. CLRI assumed the role of being a section of the University of Madras in impartation education in animal skin technology. The seed planted in 1948 has currently full-grown into a tree with nearly hour of the business in India being manned and managed by the Alumni of CLRI.  In 2003, the institute  had come up with a biological dressing for burn patients that helps in healing second and third degree burns faster and more effectively.  In 2004, the institute tied up with National Institute of Fashion Technology to offer professional educational programmes specifically for designing footwear and leather products. In the same year, the institute took up a pilot activity to produce biodiesel from rice bran oil.  In 2006, the then Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh gave away the CSIR Award for S&T Innovations for Rural Development– 2006 to the Central Leather Research Institute (Chennai).  In 2014 CLRI Scientists launched a website to conveniently share real research problems and solutions in research

The CSIR-CLRI centre has always made consistent effort of upgrading its facilities, (mainly Laboratory) and reorienting it with testing facilities dedicated to the leather hand gloves sector of the state.  As a result of this sustained endeavour, it has been possible for this centre to equip its laboratory with the exellent , latest and state of the art facilities.  It is also to consolidate its technical strength so that it can go beyond the country’s border to serve the neighbouring countries like Nepal and Bangladesh while maintaining the services it has been rendering so long to the eastern region of the country to fulfil the dream of those who instituted this centre.

Vision

CSIR-CLRI foresees to be the global hub that would transform the leather industry into one which is technology and innovation driven, thus steering India to be the global leader in Leather

Mission

To meet the requirements of its external and internal customers, relevant regulatory and statutory bodies and other stakeholders with continual improvement in its services, while aligning itself to the National agenda through innovative R&D

Facilities
Specialized instruments/Equipments

Stop-Flow Spectrophotometer
UV-Vis/Fluorescence spectrophotometers
High pressure liquid chromatography
Optical microscope with polariser
LB Trough
Gel documentation system
High performance computer clusters
Particle size analyser
Zetapotential analyzer
Cyclic voltameter
Surface tensiometer
Laboratory drum
Shrinkage tester
The department also maintains a Silicon Graphics Workstation and pentium computers for computational research.

Transport Cell: 

The cell is headed by a Principal Technical Officer who supervises the institute vehicle fleet. This cell is also the nodal cell for all transportation activities either through the staff vehicles or through the externally hired vehicles.