Agharkar Research Institute (ARI) is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. It was established in 1946 as Maharashtra Association for the Cultivation of Science (MACS) and was registered under the Societies Registration Act. 1850. Later, as the research activities started expanding, the MACS Research Institute was given a separate identity. The institute was renamed as ARI in 1992 to honour its founder Director, late Professor S. P. Agharkar. The current research and development activities of ARI span across all areas of life sciences spread over six different themes, namely Biodiversity & Paleobiology, Bioenergy, Bioprospecting, Developmental Biology, Genetics & Plant Breeding, and Nanobioscience.

The institute has a distinguished faculty, modern infrastructural facilities, well-equipped laboratories, a guest house and students hostel. It is affiliated to the S.P. Pune University for postgraduate research (M.Sc. and Ph.D.).

A number of research schemes, funded by DST, CSIR, ICAR, ICMR, DBT, MoEF and MNES are being operated. The ARI accepts consultancy, sponsored research projects and technology transfer programmes from public and private undertakings from India and abroad.