NCL established its credentials as a world-class research laboratory in the area of organic chemistry and process development due to the extensive contribution by past and present scientists of the Organic Chemistry Division (OCD). The chemical and pharmaceutical sector in India has immensely benefited and flourished due to the support from the premier laboratory such as NCL. OCD immensely contributed by developing several processes for pharma and agro products. The journey that began in the 1950s from the development of processes for organic intermediates and dyestuffs followed by agrochemicals to pharmaceuticals including import substitution for key starting materials (KSMs) has now reached a stage of collaborative research addressing the issues through multidisciplinary high-quality science and emerging synthetic tools such as electrochemistry, photochemistry, biocatalysis and continuous flow chemistry. The enhancement of basic chemistry with contemporary synthetic tools and their implementation in the process development is the main focus of the OCD scientists currently working in this key area of societal importance.