The Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, popularly known as the acronym “TANUVAS” blossomed on 20.09.1989 as the first Veterinary University of the country, through the Tamil Nadu State Government Act 42 of 1989. The seed for the establishment and growth of TANUVAS was sown as early as 1876, when the Madras Veterinary College was started as an Agricultural School in Chennai to offer diploma and certificate course in the field of veterinary and animal sciences. The institute attained the status of a college on 01.10.1903, when it started functioning at Dobbin Hall, Chennai and admitted 20 students for a three-year diploma course called GMVC (Graduate of Madras Veterinary College). It was the only veterinary college in the erstwhile composite Madras State till mid 1950’s.
The internationally acclaimed Madras Veterinary College, Chennai, the Veterinary College and Research Institute, Namakkal, the Fisheries College and Research Institute, Thoothukudi (presently under TNFU) and other Training and Research Centres, Research Farms, Farmers’ Training Centres, and diagnostic laboratories were the constituent units.

Founded in 1993, The Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) is a non-profit scientific institution that conducts research on the most pressing challenges of forest and landscape management around the world. CIFOR and World Agroforestry (ICRAF) joined forces in 2019, leveraging nearly five decades of trusted science on the role of forests and trees in solving critical global challenges.
With headquarters at Kenya, it has various regional centres. The CIFOR-ICRAF India office is being developed and promoted as a technology hub for South Asian countries, providing assistance in the development of country-specific agroforestry policies, as well as technological support and capacity building.

ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute (ICAR-CAFRI), formerly the National Research Centre for Agroforestry, is a multidisciplinary premier research institute of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) with a major focus on integrating trees, crops and livestock on the same farmland.
CAFRI has developed robust agroforestry models and package of practices for different agroclimatic conditions covering small and marginal farmers, and provides technical backstopping to the States and stakeholders.

The M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) was established in 1988 as a non-profit trust. MSSRF was envisioned and founded by Professor M.S. Swaminathan with proceeds from the First World Food Prize that he received in 1987. The Foundation aims to accelerate use of modern science and technology for agricultural and rural development to improve the lives and livelihoods of communities. MSSRF follows a pro-poor, pro-women and pro-nature approach and applies appropriate science and technology options to address practical problems faced by rural populations in agriculture, food and nutrition.
These efforts have been undertaken in a participatory manner and in partnership with other knowledge-based institutions, public and private sector organisations and local communities.

Society was inaugurated by Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, Eminent Agriculturist (Chief-Patron) in New Delhi with the objectives of making available the scientific contents of agricultural sciences including veterinary and fisheries for the benefit of farmers, fishers, entrepreneurs, and rural students.
Society has published 225 books in Tamil containing 11000 research papers also society has compiled 8,000 technical terms in Tamil on agriculture; Developed 35000 e-contents in Tamil on agricultural and fisheries sciences and uploaded in website of Tamil Virtual Academy, Govt. of Tamil Nadu. This society was instrumental in formulating Agricultural degree programme in Tamil medium.