MRML publishes books on social sciences and humanities and has published over 3000 academic and scholarly publications in Indian art, art history, architecture, archaeology, history, culture, politics, numismatics, geography, travel, voyages, Indian law, Indian medicine, language, literature, linguistics, dictionaries, glossaries, handbooks, indices, music, dance, theatre, religion, philosophy, Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Sufism, Sikhism, tantra, mysticism, yoga, Sanskrit literature, sociology, anthropology, and related subjects.

MRML co-publishes scholarly titles with governmental institutions and bodies such as the Indian Council of Philosophical Research (ICPR); Centre for Studies in Civilizations, which is world-renowned for the series of scholarly publications called the Project of History of Science, Philosophy and Culture (PHISPC); Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA); and Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR).

The origins of the family business can be traced back to 1870 in Lahore where books were published under the name of the ancestral company which was founded by Mehar Chand Jain.

Mehar Chand Jain, a widely respected literary figure, had translated the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of the Sikhs, into English.

Soon afterwards, Manohar Lal Jain was forced to flee to Amritsar to take refuge, and with the help of kind Muslim neighbours, he escaped safely across the border.

Since Manohar Lal Jain was a well-known publisher with an excellent reputation, it was not difficult for him to restart the business.