Corporate Research Centre is located at Kollam, Kerala and carries out research in the field of value-added products from  processed Minerals, undertakes consultancy projects on mineral separation and flow-sheet development, carrying out mineral analysis and caters to the needs of internal and external customers. It is engaged in various R&D activities such as processing of Monazite by alternate route, processing of nano rare earth materials and other value addition on minerals with the ultimate objective of commercialization. The Research centre also coordinates the research activities of RED, Aluva and Technical Services Division at OSCOM, Chatrapur, Orissa. This Research Centre was earlier known as Mineral Research and Development Centre since 1991 and later renamed as Indian Rare Earths Research Centre from July 2003. This Centre is also certified with ISO 9001.

With the objective of promoting Industrial scale R&D that would be beneficial to its overall program in terms of nuclear and related materials. IREL (India) Limited Technology Development Council (IRELTDC) was constituted in 2006 by the Secretary, DAE with members from BARC, IGCAR, CSIR and other leading Institutions. 

The Research Centre is equipped with various equipments and instruments like magnetic, gravity, electrostatic separators, floatation cells, grinding mills, vacuum filters, mixer settlers, ion exchange columns, particle size analyzer, XRD/XRF, thermal analyzer, ICP atomic absorption spectrometers, UV spectrometers, petrological microscopes, etc. for various analytical and research purposes.

The annual safety audit of all the operating units is carried out every year with the objective of improving the overall safety standards and increasing safety awareness among the employees. The Audit Committee, consisting of External experts, Heads of safety from all the units and the Head of the Corporate Safety, recommends for the CMD’s Shield in various categories; Safety, Housekeeping, Environment & Energy.