Founded in 1986 as an autonomous institution funded by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), the Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) is ultimately dedicated to the development of nuclear fusion as an energy source. The institute conducts experimental and theoretical research in plasma physics, focusing on the physics of magnetically confined hot plasmas and non-linear plasmas. The institute is home to the Aditya tokamak. (A tokamak is a toroidal or doughnut shaped plasma containment device. As part of normal operations, most tokamaks remove and recycle small amounts of tritium which is a vital component in thermonuclear weapons.) The Aditya Tokamak is primarily used to sustain high plasma current at a high temperature that is confined by magnetic fields. Aditya, the first indigenously built tokamak in India, is a medium-sized tokamak that produces a plasma stream with a major radius of 0.75m and a minor radius of 0.25m. Since its original construction over a decade ago, the Aditya has gradually been upgraded with the integration of various discharge cleaning systems and online diagnostics.

A second project of the IPR is research and development of a Steady-state Superconducting Tokamak-1 (SST-1). The SST-1 is a further step in the development of a tokamak reactor as well as the development of nuclear fusion technologies. In addition, the institute conducts "basic experiments" on plasma and trains India's future plasma physicists and technologists.