New Delhi: IIT Delhi’s Central Research Facility (CRF) celebrated ‘CRF Day 2026’ on May 27, 2026. CRF Day brought together researchers, industry leaders, funding agencies, and technology partners and showcased to them IIT Delhi’s advanced research infrastructure and ongoing scientific collaborations.

The Director of IIT Delhi, Prof. Rangan Banerjee, launched the "CRF Handbook" on this occasion. The CRF Handbook presents, in a user-friendly and streamlined format, a glimpse of the specifications and capabilities of these sophisticated research facilities.

                          
                                             (Photo: Launching of CRF Handbook on CRF Day)

The CRF, IIT Delhi, enables research in areas as diverse as optical characterization, high-resolution imaging, physical property measurement, biomedical applications, elemental analysis, fabrication, etc.

Speaking on this occasion, Prof. Rangan Banerjee, Director, IIT Delhi, said, “The ultimate goal of IIT Delhi’s Central Research Facility is to provide cutting-edge research facilities and be an enabler for globally competitive and locally relevant research. We aim to provide 24/7 access to researchers and students within IIT and across the country.

Some of the state-of-the-art research facilities that were witnessed by the visitors on CRF Day include:

• Cryo Electron Microscope: SATHI IIT Delhi facilitates state-of-the-art 300 kV cryo-electron microscope helps researchers in capturing 3D structures of biomolecules, cellular assemblies, etc. at near-atomic resolution in their native frozen state.

• Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA): EPMA helps scientists identify and measure elements present in a sample and is widely used for studying metals, minerals, semiconductors, and advanced materials with high accuracy.

• Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM): FESEM provides detailed images of material surfaces at very high magnification. It helps researchers observe nanoscale structures, surface features, and tiny defects invisible to normal microscopes.

• Single Crystal X-ray Diffractometer (SCXRD): SCXRD is used to determine the exact atomic arrangement inside crystalline materials. It helps researchers understand molecular and crystal structures important in chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and materials science.
• Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM): TEM allows scientists to see materials at the atomic and nanometer scale. It is used to study the internal structure, crystal arrangement, and nanoparticles in advanced materials and devices.

• Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GCMS): GCMS is used to separate and identify different chemical compounds in a sample. It is widely applied in environmental testing, drug analysis, food safety, and forensic science.

• Medtech (mPragati): mPragati is a national center for the development, manufacturing, and testing of medical devices and technology for the translation of medical devices from proof of concept to commercial products. 

Prof. Manidipa Banerjee, Head, CRF, IIT Delhi, said, “IIT Delhi hosts one of the largest sophisticated research facilities in the country, spread over the Hauz Khas and Sonipat campuses. CRF Day is our annual event where we bring together representatives from all CRF facilities, academia, industry, and government stakeholders to promote collaboration and innovation.”

Industry, research organisations, startups, educational institutions, and government agencies can access the advanced research facilities available under the Central Research Facility at IIT Delhi through a transparent and user-friendly booking system at "crf.iitd.ac.in."

The CRF ecosystem at IIT Delhi has been created with the vision of making world-class scientific infrastructure accessible to the wider research community across the country. By bringing together sophisticated instrumentation, trained technical expertise, and interdisciplinary scientific support under one platform, CRF is helping accelerate high-quality research, technology development, product innovation, and translational science in India.

These facilities are supporting researchers working in areas ranging from healthcare, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, clean energy, advanced materials, environmental sciences, and nanotechnology to emerging deep-tech sectors. The platform also plays an important role in skill development and industry-academia collaboration by enabling students, startups, MSMEs, and industries to access technologies that are otherwise difficult to establish independently.

The event also featured technical talks and poster presentations from CRF facilities, the Sophisticated Analytical and Technical Help Institute (SATHI) Foundation at IIT Delhi, and mPRAGATI—a national center for the development of medical devices and technology—highlighting cutting-edge research capabilities and opportunities for academia-industry collaboration.

Through initiatives such as CRF, SATHI, and mPRAGATI, IIT Delhi continues to contribute towards strengthening the country’s scientific ecosystem and supporting India’s journey towards innovation-led growth and self-reliance in advanced technologies.

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