The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) established the National Research Centre on Rapeseed-Mustard (NRCRM) on October 20, 1993, to carry out basic, strategic and applied research on rapeseed-mustard. Besides, generating basic knowledge and material, it also engages in developing ecologically sound and economically viable agro production and protection technologies. The Centre has also the responsibility to plan, coordinate and execute the research programmes through wide network of 22 main and sub-centres across the country, to augment the production and productivity of rapeseed-mustard.

In February 2009, the ICAR re-designated NRCRM as the Directorate of Rapeseed Mustard Research (DRMR). The DRMR functions as a fulcrum to support the production system research for rapeseed (Brown sarson, yellow sarson, toria, taramira, gobhi sarson) and mustard (black mustard, Ethiopian mustard and Indian mustard) group of crops through research, service and support units