What is SEBI BRSR?
Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report
India's mandatory ESG disclosure framework for the top 1,000 listed companies, covering 9 principles of responsible business conduct with BRSR Core indicators subject to reasonable assurance.
Definition
SEBI BRSR is India's mandatory sustainability disclosure framework introduced by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). Required for the top 1,000 listed companies by market capitalisation, it mandates disclosures across 9 principles of the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC). BRSR Core is the subset of quantitative KPIs subject to mandatory reasonable assurance — the highest-stakes component of the framework from a governance and evidence trail perspective.
Key facts at a glance
What is BRSR Core?
BRSR Core is a curated set of quantitative KPIs that SEBI has identified as most critical for ESG assessment. Unlike the rest of BRSR which is disclosed without independent verification, BRSR Core indicators are subject to mandatory reasonable assurance — the highest level of assurance standard, equivalent to audit-level scrutiny.
BRSR Core covers GHG emissions (Scope 1 and 2), energy consumption, water withdrawal and consumption, waste generation, turnover rates, and gender pay ratios, among other indicators. For companies within scope, these KPIs require a robust evidence trail from the point of data collection through to the published disclosure.
The 9 BRSR Principles
Frequently asked questions
What is SEBI BRSR?
SEBI BRSR (Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report) is India's mandatory sustainability disclosure framework required by the Securities and Exchange Board of India. It replaced the earlier Business Responsibility Report (BRR) and applies to the top 1,000 listed companies by market capitalisation. BRSR requires disclosures across 9 principles of the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC), covering environment, social, and governance dimensions.
What is BRSR Core?
BRSR Core is a subset of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) within the BRSR framework that are subject to mandatory reasonable assurance. SEBI introduced BRSR Core to ensure that the most critical ESG metrics are independently verified. For the top 150 companies by market cap, BRSR Core assurance was required from FY2023-24. It covers indicators across environmental metrics (GHG emissions, energy, water, waste), social metrics (equal pay, turnover), and governance indicators.
Who must file BRSR in India?
BRSR filing is mandatory for the top 1,000 listed companies by market capitalisation in India. This was phased in: mandatory for the top 1,000 from FY2022-23. BRSR Core assurance requirements apply to the top 150 companies from FY2023-24, expanding to the top 250 from FY2024-25, and the top 500 and 1,000 in subsequent years.
What are the 9 principles of BRSR?
The 9 BRSR principles align to India's National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC): P1 — Businesses should conduct and govern themselves with integrity; P2 — Businesses should provide goods and services sustainably; P3 — Businesses should respect and promote the wellbeing of employees; P4 — Businesses should respect the interests of stakeholders; P5 — Businesses should respect and promote human rights; P6 — Businesses should respect and make efforts to protect the environment; P7 — Businesses should engage in policy advocacy responsibly; P8 — Businesses should promote inclusive growth; P9 — Businesses should engage with and provide value to their consumers.
What is the difference between BRSR and BRSR Core?
BRSR is the full sustainability disclosure report covering all 9 principles and both essential and leadership indicators. BRSR Core is a curated set of quantitative KPIs within BRSR that SEBI has identified as most critical for ESG assessment. BRSR Core indicators are subject to mandatory reasonable assurance — the rest of the BRSR report is not. BRSR Core therefore represents the highest-stakes portion of BRSR from a governance and evidence trail perspective.
BRSR Advisory
We help India-listed companies build the KPI governance, evidence trails, and assurance readiness required for BRSR Core compliance.
View BRSR advisory