diff --git a/.changeset/spicy-goats-help.md b/.changeset/spicy-goats-help.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..6c040ff6c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/spicy-goats-help.md
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+---
+'@backstage/cli': patch
+---
+
+Add an experimental `install <plugin>` command.
+
+Given a `pluginId`, the command looks for NPM packages matching `@backstage/plugin-{pluginId}` or `backstage-plugin-{pluginId}` or `{pluginId}`. It looks for the `installationRecipe` in their `package.json` for the steps of installation. Detailed documentation and API Spec to follow (and to be decided as well).
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts
index bcd1509f58..6dbe42feb1 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/index.ts
@@ -229,6 +229,11 @@ export function registerCommands(program: CommanderStatic) {
     .command('info')
     .description('Show helpful information for debugging and reporting bugs')
     .action(lazy(() => import('./info').then(m => m.default)));
+
+  program
+    .command('install <plugin-id>', { hidden: true })
+    .description('Install a Backstage plugin [EXPERIMENTAL]')
+    .action(lazy(() => import('./install/install').then(m => m.default)));
 }
 
 // Wraps an action function so that it always exits and handles errors
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/install/install.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/install/install.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7e46dd4cf0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/install/install.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,197 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import fs from 'fs-extra';
+import chalk from 'chalk';
+import sortBy from 'lodash/sortBy';
+import groupBy from 'lodash/groupBy';
+import {
+  Step,
+  StepAppRoute,
+  StepMessage,
+  StepDependencies,
+  PackageWithInstallRecipe,
+} from './types';
+import { fetchPackageInfo } from '../../lib/versioning';
+import { NotFoundError } from '../../lib/errors';
+import { paths } from '../../lib/paths';
+import { run } from '../../lib/run';
+
+async function fetchPluginPackage(
+  id: string,
+): Promise<PackageWithInstallRecipe> {
+  const searchNames = [`@backstage/plugin-${id}`, `backstage-plugin-${id}`, id];
+
+  for (const name of searchNames) {
+    try {
+      const packageInfo = (await fetchPackageInfo(
+        name,
+      )) as PackageWithInstallRecipe;
+      return packageInfo;
+    } catch (error) {
+      if (error.name !== 'NotFoundError') {
+        throw error;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  throw new NotFoundError(
+    `No matching package found for '${id}', tried ${searchNames.join(', ')}`,
+  );
+}
+
+class PluginInstaller {
+  static async resolveSteps(pkg: PackageWithInstallRecipe) {
+    const steps = new Array<Step>();
+
+    // collectDependencies
+    // TODO: Deps mean the plugin package itself, and any other backstage plugins/packages it depends on, in its installation recipe.
+    const dependencies = [];
+    dependencies.push({
+      target: 'packages/app',
+      type: 'dependencies' as const,
+      name: pkg.name,
+      query: `^${pkg.version}`,
+    });
+    steps.push({
+      type: 'dependencies',
+      dependencies,
+    });
+
+    // TODO(Rugvip): validate input
+    for (const step of pkg.installationRecipe?.steps ?? []) {
+      if (step.type === 'app-route') {
+        steps.push({
+          ...step,
+          packageName: pkg.name,
+        });
+      } else if (step.type === 'message') {
+        steps.push(step);
+      } else {
+        throw new Error(`Unsupported step type: ${step.type}`);
+      }
+    }
+
+    return steps;
+  }
+
+  constructor(private readonly steps: Step[]) {}
+
+  /**
+   * Updates package.json files with the dependencies and devDependencies.
+   */
+  private async stepDependencies(step: StepDependencies) {
+    // yarn --cwd packages/app add
+    const byTarget = groupBy(step.dependencies, 'target');
+
+    // Go through each target package and install the dependencies.
+    for (const [target, deps] of Object.entries(byTarget)) {
+      const pkgPath = paths.resolveTargetRoot(target, 'package.json');
+      const pkgJson = await fs.readJson(pkgPath);
+
+      // Populate each type of dependency object, dependencies, devDependencies, etc.
+      const depTypes = new Set<string>();
+      for (const dep of deps) {
+        depTypes.add(dep.type);
+        pkgJson[dep.type][dep.name] = dep.query;
+      }
+
+      // Be nice and sort the dependencies alphabetically
+      for (const depType of depTypes) {
+        pkgJson[depType] = Object.fromEntries(
+          sortBy(Object.entries(pkgJson[depType]), ([key]) => key),
+        );
+      }
+      await fs.writeJson(pkgPath, pkgJson, { spaces: 2 });
+    }
+
+    console.log();
+    console.log(
+      `Running ${chalk.blue('yarn install')} to install new versions`,
+    );
+    console.log();
+    await run('yarn', ['install']);
+  }
+
+  private async stepAppRoute(step: StepAppRoute) {
+    const appTsxPath = paths.resolveTargetRoot('packages/app/src/App.tsx');
+    const contents = await fs.readFile(appTsxPath, 'utf-8');
+    let failed = false;
+
+    // Add a new route just above the end of the FlatRoutes block
+    const contentsWithRoute = contents.replace(
+      /(\s*)<\/FlatRoutes>/,
+      `$1  <Route path="${step.path}" element={${step.element}} />$1</FlatRoutes>`,
+    );
+    if (contentsWithRoute === contents) {
+      failed = true;
+    }
+
+    // Grab the component name from the element
+    const componentName = step.element.match(/[A-Za-z0-9]+/)?.[0];
+    if (!componentName) {
+      throw new Error(`Could not find component name in ${step.element}`);
+    }
+
+    // Add plugin import
+    // TODO(Rugvip): Attempt to add this among the other plugin imports
+    const contentsWithImport = contentsWithRoute.replace(
+      /^import /m,
+      `import { ${componentName} } from '${step.packageName}';\nimport `,
+    );
+    if (contentsWithImport === contentsWithRoute) {
+      failed = true;
+    }
+
+    if (failed) {
+      console.log(
+        'Failed to automatically add a route to package/app/src/App.tsx',
+      );
+      console.log(`Action needed, add the following:`);
+      console.log(`1. import { ${componentName} } from '${step.packageName}';`);
+      console.log(`2. <Route path="${step.path}" element={${step.element}} />`);
+    } else {
+      await fs.writeFile(appTsxPath, contentsWithImport);
+    }
+  }
+
+  private async stepMessage(step: StepMessage) {
+    console.log([step.message].flat().join(''));
+  }
+
+  async run() {
+    for (const step of this.steps) {
+      // TODO(Rugvip): Add spinners, nicer message about the step.
+      console.log(`Running step ${step.type}`);
+      if (step.type === 'dependencies') {
+        await this.stepDependencies(step);
+      } else if (step.type === 'app-route') {
+        await this.stepAppRoute(step);
+      } else if (step.type === 'message') {
+        await this.stepMessage(step);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+export default async (pluginId: string) => {
+  // TODO(himanshu): If no plugin id is provided, it should list all plugins available. Maybe in some other command?
+
+  const pkg = await fetchPluginPackage(pluginId);
+  const Steps = await PluginInstaller.resolveSteps(pkg);
+  const installer = new PluginInstaller(Steps);
+  await installer.run();
+};
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/commands/install/types.ts b/packages/cli/src/commands/install/types.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f9ab8426ca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/commands/install/types.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2021 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import { YarnInfoInspectData } from '../../lib/versioning';
+
+/**
+ * TODO: possible types
+ *
+ * frontend-deps: Install one or many frontend packages in a Backstage app
+ * backend-deps: Install one or many backend packages in a Backstage app
+ * app-config: Update app-config.yaml (and ask for inputs). E.g. Use local or docker for techdocs.builder
+ * frontend-route: Add a frontend route to the plugin homepage
+ * backend-route: Add a backend route to the plugin
+ * entity-page-tab: Add a tab on Catalog’s entity page
+ * sidebar-item: Add a sidebar item
+ * frontend-api: Add a custom API
+ */
+
+export type StepAppRoute = {
+  type: 'app-route';
+  path: string;
+  element: string;
+  packageName: string;
+};
+
+export type StepMessage = {
+  type: 'message';
+  message: string | string[];
+};
+
+export type StepDependencies = {
+  type: 'dependencies';
+  dependencies: Array<{
+    target: string;
+    type: 'dependencies';
+    name: string;
+    query: string;
+  }>;
+};
+
+export type Step = StepAppRoute | StepMessage | StepDependencies;
+
+export type InstallationRecipe = {
+  type?: 'frontend' | 'backend';
+  steps: Step[];
+};
+
+export type PackageWithInstallRecipe = YarnInfoInspectData & {
+  version: string;
+  installationRecipe?: InstallationRecipe;
+};
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/versioning/index.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/versioning/index.ts
index fb3b8989b4..e0b9280ee6 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/versioning/index.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/versioning/index.ts
@@ -16,3 +16,4 @@
 
 export { Lockfile } from './Lockfile';
 export { fetchPackageInfo, mapDependencies } from './packages';
+export type { YarnInfoInspectData } from './packages';
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/lib/versioning/packages.ts b/packages/cli/src/lib/versioning/packages.ts
index 6ed584a249..9f82c560f8 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/lib/versioning/packages.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/lib/versioning/packages.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ const DEP_TYPES = [
 ];
 
 // Package data as returned by `yarn info`
-type YarnInfoInspectData = {
+export type YarnInfoInspectData = {
   name: string;
   'dist-tags': { latest: string };
   versions: string[];