Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore Centre

Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Bangalore Centre: A Legacy of Excellence in Statistical Sciences

The Bangalore Centre of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) was envisioned by the visionary Prof. P.C. Mahalanobis in the 1960s, recognizing the city's burgeoning prominence as a hub for scientific advancement. His foresight led to the establishment of this esteemed institute. The presence of numerous national institutions of higher learning, Bangalore's pleasant climate, and its evolving metropolitan culture likely inspired his consideration of this strategic location. In 1966, the Government of Karnataka generously granted ISI 30 acres of eucalyptus-rich forest land, adjacent to the upcoming Bangalore University on Mysore Road, at a nominal price.

Tragically, Professor Mahalanobis did not live to witness the realization of his Bangalore dream, passing away in 1972. The subsequent difficult period for ISI led to a temporary shelving of the Bangalore project. However, the vision was revived by Professor Kallianpur, the Director of ISI from 1976 to 1978. He spearheaded the effort to present concrete proposals to the Government of India and secure grants for the development of the existing land and the construction of an Academic Block, which would house a library and administrative offices.

In the interim, the Bangalore Centre commenced its activities in September 1978 from a rented building on Church Street, in the heart of the city. The Statistics and Mathematics Unit (SMU) was established, joining the Statistical Quality Control (SQC) Unit and the Documentation Research and Training Centre (DRTC), which were already operating from other rented premises. The Economic Analysis Unit (EAU) was also established at this time.

The consolidation of the various units occurred in May 1985 with the completion of the Administrative Block on the new campus. Finally, in September 1996, the Bangalore Centre was formally declared a Centre of ISI. Driven by an increasing faculty strength and enhanced computer and library facilities, the Bangalore Centre has since become a renowned institution for its academic contributions in:

• Mathematics and Statistics
• Statistical Quality Control and Operations Research
• Library and Information Science
• Quantitative Economics

The Systems Science and Informatics Unit (SSIU) further expanded the Centre's academic scope in August 2009.