the Aluminium Stewardship Initiative, and the World Gold Council's Responsible Gold Mining Principles assure stakeholders through independent, unbiased audits of ESG commitments. Currently, 26 member companies of ICMM adhere to its 10 gold principles spanning ethical business conduct, human rights, health and safety, and environmental and social performance (ICMM, n.d.). EITI, rooted in transparency, accountability, and good governance, guides companies and governments to disclose revenue flows and strengthen anti-corruption, gender, social, environmental, and energy transition policies (EITI, 2023). Similarly, the IRMA provides a multi-stakeholder standard that evaluates the environmental and social impacts of industrial-scale mining, based on business integrity, positive legacies, and social and environmental responsibility. Auto manufacturing giants like Tesla, Volkswagen, Ford, and Mercedes-Benz began requiring their suppliers to come from IRMA-audited mines and to hold similar certifications (IRMA, 2025). The Mining Association of Canada's Towards Sustainable Mining (TSM) is another globally recognised initiative aligned with the ICMM principles for environmental, social, and energy stewardship. Investor coalitions are also shaping this transition. The Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), the Global Investor Commission, and allied coalitions of asset managers published a "Mining 2030" summary report as an investor-led blueprint to drive a more socially and environmentally responsible mining sector. NEED FOR A RESPONSIBLE FRAMEWORK IN INDIA As global ESG expectations intensify, the absence of a responsible mining and processing framework could undermine the industry's competitiveness in India. Top 1,000 Indian listed companies (by market capitalisation) report their ESG performance through the Business Responsibility & Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) framework based on the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC) (ICAI, 2024) However, a bulk of the mining and processing value chain consists of fragmented informal players that fall outside the regulatory rigor of reporting, thereby making it harder to trace the entire supply chain. At the same time, global buyers are strengthening their supply chain due diligence laws and want their upstream suppliers to adhere to ethical sourcing standards. India currently has no framework or mechanism to trace and verify whether minerals are sourced from conflict-free areas. This gap risks the larger integration into global value chains, particularly as international markets increasingly demand verifiable compliance. Moreover, India's participation in global frameworks such as ICMM, EITI, and IRMA is limited, with only one Indian entity, Hindustan Zinc Ltd. (HZL), having recently joined ICMM and EITI. However, these certifications are not infallible. Evidence from one of the largest copper-cobalt mines in the DRC indicates that despite obtaining Copper Mark certification, operations have significantly damaged public health and the environment, including massive community displacement (Paul, 2026). Therefore, a more nuanced level of scrutiny is required beyond just relying on certifications to cut corners on other sustainable responsibilities. To evaluate the environmental and social footprints of mining and hold mining leaseholders accountable for their operations, the 'Star Rating of Mines' was introduced by the central 146
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