[5] Among its duties are guarding sensitive governmental buildings, Parliament complex, the Delhi Metro, and providing airport security.

It was set up under an act of Parliament on 10 March 1969 with a strength of around 188,000 personnel and as the name suggests, it was created for the better protection and security of industrial undertakings in the country.

However, the role of CISF has undergone diversification and it now also protects airports, seaports, metro rail networks, government buildings, heritage monuments (including the Taj Mahal and Red Fort), opium and alkaloids extractions, nuclear power plants, and space installations.

The force is divided into Nine Sectors (Airport, North, North-East, East, West, South, Training, South-East, Central) and also has a Fire Service Wing.

[10] The Infosys in Mysuru, the Reliance Jamnagar Refinery and the Delhi Metro Airport Express Line are the latest [when?]

Manish Kumar Rai, Assistant Commandant, led the first contingent of CISF deployed at Infosys Bengaluru.

[11] In 2016, the Patanjali Food and Herbal Park received 35 full-time, armed Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) commandos.

[12] On 13 November 2019, Union Home Ministry has accorded its approval for deployment of the CISF at the Visva-Bharati University.

However, following the hijacking of Indian Airlines Flight 814 in 1999, the topic of handing over security of the airports to the CISF was first proposed.

The CISF will also deploy commandos of its counter terrorism and VIP protection unit (SSG) in the parliament security.

CISF's first fire wing unit with a strength of 53 personnel was inducted at Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore (FACT), Cochin on 16 April 1970 following the recommendations of a commission headed by Justice B. Mukherjee, which was formed to investigate a major fire at the Heavy Engineering Corporation plant at Ranchi on 29 January 1970.

[24] Eventually, the Government of India approved recruitment rules to various posts for the creation of a separate fire service cadre in CISF in January 1991, and accordingly, the Fire Service Cadre started functioning in CISF on 12 January 1991.

This unit is responsible for providing physical protection, evacuation, mobile and static security cover to persons who have been nominated by the Home Ministry.

[27] : para 2.129  For a person to be eligible for security cover by CISF special unit, the intelligence bureau and other secret police agencies are required to specify the danger after a detailed 'threat analysis', which are often fudged for political and other considerations.

[34] On 17 July 2024, the CISF deployed officers alongside the CRPF, SSB, ITBP, NSG and the Assam Rifles to provide security assistance to the Police Nationale and Gendarmerie for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.