The ICMR – Regional Occupational Health Centre (Southern) (ICMR-ROHC-S), a regional centre of the ICMR-National Institute of Occupational Health Research (ICMR-NIOHR), Ahmedabad was instituted in 1977 at the Bangalore Medical College (BMC) campus, Karnataka and was inaugurated by Dr. C. Gopalan, the then Director-General of the ICMR on 24th July 1977. Recognising the diversity of occupations across India and the region-specific occupational health and safety challenges faced by the workforce, the Centre was recognised to address the unique occupational health needs of southern India by strengthening occupational health research, surveillance, technical services, and capacity building.

In recognition of the Centre’s contributions to occupational health research in industrial sectors and the growing need to strengthen research on the health and safety of the agricultural workforce, the Government of Karnataka extended its support for establishing the permanent campus. Consequently, in 2008, the Centre was relocated to its present premises at Nirmal Bhavan, ICMR Complex, Poojanahalli Road, Kannamangala, Devanahalli Taluk, Karnataka – 562110.

ICMR-ROHC(S) serves as a regional hub for multidisciplinary occupational health research, with major focus areas including agromedicine, agrochemical industries, manufacturing, mining, construction, healthcare, and other organised and informal sectors.

Since its inception, the Centre has consistently provided research, technical expertise, and public health services to the state governments of southern states / union territory viz., Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry and their working populations respectively.