The Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit was founded in November, 1976 by Bharat Ratna Professor C. N. R. Rao. SSCU has provided major thrust to diverse frontier areas at the intersection of Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Since its beginning, SSCU has fostered a culture of excellence which is reflected in the fact that SSCU leads IISc in terms of research quality and productivity. Our research is highly interdisciplinary spanning frontier areas lying at the intersection of Chemistry, Physics and Materials Science.