The Centre was established in 1976 following the recommendations of the Nayudamma Committee. The committee had identified a critical need for India to advance its low-temperature research capabilities to support strategic sectors like space exploration, defense, and industrial gas processing. The Centre was designed as a multi-disciplinary unit, drawing expertise from three core areas: Physics (for low-temperature phenomena and superconductivity)Mechanical Engineering (for refrigeration and machinery)Chemical Engineering (for gas separation and purification).