The Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) is an advanced research institute established by the Reserve Bank of India for carrying out research on development issues from multi-disciplinary perspectives. After its registration as an autonomous society on November 14, 1986 and as a public trust in January 15, 1987, the then Prime Minister, Shri Rajiv Gandhi inaugurated the campus at Goregaon on December 28, 1987. Subsequently, the Institute was recognized as a Deemed University under Section 3 of the UGC Act. Dr. D M Nachane is the current director of the Institute. At present the Institute has about 120 employees and M.Phil/Ph.D students that include about 30 full time faculty members, 24 non-academic staff and about 60 M.Phil/Ph.D. students.

Starting as a purely research institution, the Institute quickly developed into a full-fledged teaching cum research organization when in 1990 it launched a Ph.D. program in the field of development studies. The objective of the Ph.D. program is to produce analysts with diverse disciplinary background who can address issues of economics, energy and environment policies. In 1995 an M. Phil programme was also started.