The Institute has the mandate to undertake research on coconut, areca nut, palmyra, and cocoa.

Initially mandated to conduct research on coconut, areca nut, cocoa, cashew, oil palm, and spices, the institute later separated research on cashew, oil palm, and spices to establish independent institutes.

The institute's research programs are structured into five divisions: Additionally, it oversees the International Coconut Gene Bank for South Asia situated at Kidu in Karnataka.

Serving as the headquarters of the All India Co-ordinated Research Project (AICRP) on palms, it manages 28 centers spread across 14 states and one union territory, encompassing 13 SAUs/SHUs, one CAU, and four ICAR institutes.

There are four research centres at Mohitnagar (West Bengal), Kahikuchi (Assam), and Kidu (Karnataka).