The IHS was commissioned by the Government of India^[1] to carry out an institutional assessment of the National AIDS Control Programme at the national, state and district level and to make recommendation for their strengthening, prior to the launch of the third National AIDS Control Project (NACP-III).  Key entities of NACP was analyzed in terms of (1) institutional structure, which captures organizational resources, design, and components; (2) institutional functioning, which captures organizational systems, policies, and procedures, and impact as defined by program/service delivery; and (3) institutional culture, which captures additional elements, such as organizational values, political will, and leadership style. The assessment provided recommendations for organization structure and staffing of key entities at the national, state and district level. In addition, the assessment also recommended mechanisms for convergence of NACP with the NRHM; NACP-RNTCP convergence; Partnerships for capacity development and program support; Public-private partnerships for service delivery; and a governance framework for the NACP. Recommendations of the study provided inputs to the preparation of the Project Implementation Plan of the NACP-III.