The Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists (IAMM) was born in the year 1976 at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal when the medical microbiologists of the country felt the long-awaited need for starting their own Association. Many of assembled at Manipal for the Annual Conference of the Association of Pathologists and Microbiologists (IAPM) also felt the need for a separate Association for the microbiologists.
Considering the fast development of the subject in recent years, as well as the growing number of specialists in the field, it was felt that the time was ripe to establish their own Association to improve the status of the subject of Medical Microbiology as well as medical microbiologists in their country. Thus, it was decided at Kasturba Medical College to start their own Association and nominate Dr. S.C. Agarwal, Dr. K.B. Sharma, and Dr. Shriniwas as three chief architects to undertake the responsibilities to put the foundation for the new organization.