The Herbal Research and Development Institute (HRDI), a nodal agency of Uttarakhand Medicinal Plant Board, has been established at Gopeshwar in 1989 for conservation, development and sustainable utilization of the valuable Medicinal and Aromatic Plant resources of Uttarakhand. It is an autonomous institute of the Uttarakhand Government registered under the Registration of Societies Act, 1860.
The main objective of HRDI is to co-ordinate medicinal and aromatic plants activities carried out by various Govt agencies, farmers, research institutes, NGOs, etc. The main field activities of the institute cover the following areas:-

• Cultivation of valuable Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of Uttarakhand, primarily to improve livelihood opportunities.
• Survey, inventorisation and conservation of biodiversity of medicinal and aromatic plants.
• Research on agro-technique, bio-diversity, biotechnology and genetic improvement of Medicinal and Medicinal Plants.
• Development of cultivation techniques for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and transfer of technology to the farmers and growers.
• Revitalization of traditional knowledge and the ancients' Indian medicine system, Ayurveda.
• Quality control assessment and research on active ingredients and substances of medicinal and aromatic plants.
• Human resource development, extension and dissemination of information relating to medicinal and aromatic plants.
• Co-ordination of activities of institutions/ departments engaged in development of medicinal and aromatic plants in Uttarakhand.