The CMPDI functions through its corporate headquarters at Ranchi and its Regional Institutes (RIs) numbered 1 to 7 located at Asansol, Dhanbad, Ranchi, Nagpur, Bilaspur, Singrauli, and Bhubaneswar respectively-along with various field units and exploration camps.

The services of CMPDI fall under the following two broad headings:

(A) CMPDI's Business Functions, ie, the consultancy and support for mineral exploration, mining, infrastructure engineering, environmental management, and management systems, especially to the mineral, mining and allied sectors, both within and outside coal industry and the country.

(B) CMPDI's Corporate Responsibilities, ie, as follows:

• Assisting Ministry of Coal (MoC) and Planning Commission for strategic decisions relating to coal-sector at the national level, eg, through maintaining inventories of coal deposits, coal mining potentials and operations, etc.
• Functioning as a nodal agency on behalf of Government of India, eg, for schemes funded by MoC viz S&T projects, exploration work in non-CIL blocks, Environmental Measures and Subsidence Control (EMSC) projects, and CBM clearing house; and for projects funded by CIL R&D Board.
• Liaison between MoC, CIL, and sister coal producing companies on technical and operational matters.
• Working as an in-house planner and guide for coal-producing companies under CIL as their integral part.

   The services of CMPDI are for any of the following purposes:

• Services to pursue company's business activities.
• Services to pursue research & development needs of the industry, either independently or in association with some external agency/body.
• Services technically similar to the above, but undertaken as its corporate obligations.