Sophisticated Analytical Instrument facility (Formerly known as Regional Sophisticated Instrumentation
Centre- RSIC) at Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow is more than 30 years old and is one of the first four such facilities set up by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India in mid seventies.

The concept of the RSIC at Central Drug Research Institute evolved around the regional needs of scientists and research personnel engaged in research in the chemical and biological sciences. The instruments at the centre have been updated from time to time, keeping pace with the advancement of science and technology and the requirements of the regional users.

SAIF- CDRI provides primarily chemistry centric analytical facilities for researchers throughout India. Researchers outside India are also welcome to get their samples analyzed.

Sophisticated analytical instruments are vital for pursuing research in many areas of modern science and technology. Many institutions in the country do not have such instruments. These instruments are expensive and cannot be provided through individual project mechanism. Moreover, these instruments are of inter/multidisciplinary utility and thus it is desirable to use them on sharing basis for their optimum utilization. Considering these aspects, the Department of Science & Technology (DST) has set up Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities (SAIFs) in different parts of the country under its Sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facilities Programme to provide the facilities of sophisticated analytical instruments to the research workers in general and specially from the institutions which do not have access to such instruments to enable them to pursue R&D activities requiring such facilities and keep pace with developments taking place globally. The instrument facilities provided by the SAIFs are being utilized by about 6,000 users every year from academic institutions, R&D laboratories and industries from all over the country.

SAIF Lucknow was amongst the very early such facilities created by the Department of Science & Technology (DST) in mid seventies and has been instrumental in providing analytical facilities to researchers all across the region.