The Bhubaneswar Chapter of the Indian Institute of Metals (IIM) came into existence in 1976 with its office at RRL, Bhubaneswar (Presently named CSIR-Institute of Mineral and Materials Technology), mainly due to the sincere efforts of eminent metallurgist Prof. P.K. Jena. In 1972, Prof. Jena, professor of metallurgy of Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, took over as Director of RRL, Bhubaneswar, and built the laboratory with significant emphasis on Research and Development on conservation and development of minerals resources of the state of Odisha as well as of the country. To facilitate this objective, it was felt necessary to interact closely with Minerals Processing and Metallurgical industries and the IIM. Prof. Jena had a close association with the IIM since 1960. He and some of his colleagues made an intense drive to enlist other scientists and engineers working in the area as members of the IIM.

In the meantime, with the appointment of many scientists in RRL, Bhubaneswar, and the emergence of more minerals and metallurgical processing industries in the state of Odisha, it became possible to induct 25 to 30 members into the IIM. In a couple of meetings of the central IIM, Prof. Jena, a Council member at that time, put forth before the Council the necessity of creating the Bhubaneswar Chapter of the IIM and was ultimately successful in getting the chapter formed in 1976 with its head office at RRL, Bhubaneswar. Since then, under his leadership as the founder Chairman for 12 consecutive years and in association with some of his enthusiastic colleagues, he was able to induct many more scientists and engineers from various leading organizations such as IDC (IDCOL) Odisha, FACOR, IMFA, IPICOL, and NALCO, with different technical activities. Some of the above organizations are also corporate members of the IIM Bhubaneswar Chapter. The participation of IIM Bhubaneswar Chapter members and presentation of various technical papers in ATM sessions of IIM used to be quite impressive within a few years of the creation.

Since its inception, the IIM Bhubaneswar Chapter is rendering continuous efforts to promote metallurgy's interest through arranging international and national seminars, workshops, industrial visits, and metallurgical quiz programs among students (Prof. Bramha Prakash Memorial Metallurgical and Materials Quiz).