The Mandate of the Institute is to cater the forestry research, needs pertaining to eco-restoration of cold deserts & mined areas and regeneration of coniferous & broad-leaved forests, besides activities on management practices in temperate forests, and in alpine areas too. Popularization of agroforestry and other related extension activities has been included in its mandate.

The Institute also has the national mandate of Eco-restoration od cold deserts and study of regeneration problems of conifer species and has been declared as "Centre of Advance Studies for Cold Desert Afforestation and Alpine Pasture Management ".