Chennai Mathematical Institute is a centre of excellence for teaching and research in the mathematical sciences. It was founded in 1989 as a part of the SPIC Science Foundation, funded by the SPIC group in Chennai. Since 1996, it has been an autonomous institution. CMI is managed by a Governing Council consisting of eminent persons. Today, CMI is a rare example of public-private partnership in research and education in India. The Institute receives major private funding, side by side with substantial financial support from the Government of India.

The main areas of research at CMI are Mathematics and Computer Science. A Physics group is also being set up. In addition to a vibrant PhD programme, the Institute conducts BSc programmes in Mathematics and Computer Science as well as Physics, along with MSc programmes in Mathematics and Computer Science.

CMI began as the School of Mathematics, SPIC Science Foundation, in 1989. The SPIC Science Foundation was set up in 1986 by Southern Petrochemical Industries Corporation Ltd (SPIC), one of the major industrial houses in India, to foster the growth of Science and Technology in the country. In 1996, the School of Mathematics became an independent institution and changed its name to SPIC Mathematical Institute. In 1998, in order to better reflect the emerging role of the institute, it was renamed the Chennai Mathematical Institute (CMI). From its inception, the Institute has had a vibrant PhD programme in Mathematics and Computer Science. In the initial years, the PhD Programme was affiliated to the Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani and the University of Madras. In December 2006, CMI was recognized as a university under Section 3 of the UGC Act 1956 and will henceforth award PhD degrees directly.

To bridge the gap between teaching and research, in 1998 CMI began an integrated 3-year course in Mathematics and Computer Science leading to a BSc Honours degree. In 2001, the BSc programme was extended to incorporate two courses with research components, leading to an MSc degree in Mathematics, and an MSc degree in Computer Science. In 2003, a new undergraduate course was added, leading to a BSc degree in Physics. These teaching programmes are run in cooperation with the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai. In the initial years, the degrees were awarded by the Madhya Pradesh Bhoj (Open) University (MPBOU), Bhopal. Since CMI has been recognized as a university, it will now award BSc and MSc degrees directly. These details are retrieved from www.cmi.ac.in