The Society for Mitochondria Research and Medicine, India (SMRM) is a nonprofit organization of scientists, clinicians and academicians. The purpose of SMRM is to foster research on basic science of mitochondria, mitochondrial pathogenesis, prevention, diagnosis and treatment through out India and abroad.

One sixth of humanity lives in India. India is rich in terms of cultural and genetic diversity, which has been maintained since time immemorial. Indian subcontinent has approximately 5000 anthropologically well-defined endogamous groups. With a very large population and high birth rate, and consanguineous marriage favoured in many communities, there is a high prevalence of genetic disorders in India. Mitochondrial disorders, unlike any other genetic disorders are inherited exclusively maternally and gains more importance in the Indian context. Each disorder produces a wide spectrum of dysfunction that can be extremely perplexing to the scientist and clinician. Current estimates place the incidence of mitochondrial disorder at about 1 in 2000 to 1 in 5000 live births in Western countries. Due to inadequate diagnostic tools, clinical management and rehabilitation facilities, the burden of the genetic disorders, in particular mitochondrial disorders is much greater in Indian subcontinent than in Western countries.

SMRM acts as a forum to bring together the patients with mitochondrial disorders who need the care, the clinicians who diagnose and treat mitochondrial disorders and the basic scientists who are working in the field of mitochondrial research and medicine.

SMRM was formally inaugurated during the historical Indo-US meeting on "Mitochondrial Research and Medicine" which was held for the first time in India at CCMB from 22nd January to 24th January 2007. This meeting was jointly organized by Dr. Keshav K. Singh and Dr. K Thangaraj.