Establishment

In view of the vast potential of the country for the production of quality pomegranate, the ICAR-National Research Centre on Pomegranate (ICAR-NRCP) was established by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi on June 16, 2005 at Kegaon, North Solapur Taluk, Solapur District of the Maharashtra state. The Centre, however, was inaugurated by Honorable Union Minister of Agriculture, Shri. Sharad Pawar on 25th September 2005 in presence of Dr. Mangala Rai, Secretary, DARE & Director General, ICAR.

The ICAR-National Research Centre has around 52 ha of land which falls in the jurisdiction of two villages ie. Kegaon and Hiraj of Solapur district for its Laboratories and Experimental trials. Till June 2012, ICAR-NRCP was functioning from the premises of Centre on Rabi Sorghum (Directorate of Sorghum Research), NH-9 Bypass Road, Shelgi (PO), Solapur- 413 006. Presently, the ICAR-NRCP has been working at Kegaon, North Solapur Taluk, Solapur District of the Maharashtra state since June, 2012 with the establishment of newly constructed office-cum- laboratory building.

The Research Centre is located at Kegaon near Solapur University, Pune-Hyderabad National Highway-9, about 12 km away from the Solapur city.