The journey of Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) in India reflects an increasing commitment to corporate sustainability. It began in 2009 with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) releasing the Voluntary Guidelines on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), which laid the groundwork for responsible business practices.

In 2011, India took significant strides by endorsing the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and introducing the National Voluntary Guidelines on Social, Environmental, and Economic Responsibilities of Business (NVGs). These initiatives emphasized the integration of human rights and sustainability into corporate strategies.

The Business Responsibility Report (BRR) was introduced in 2012 for the top 100 listed companies, marking a critical step in promoting transparency and accountability in corporate governance. However, in 2021, SEBI upgraded this framework to the more comprehensive BRSR, requiring companies to enhance their ESG disclosures and better align with global sustainability standards.

By 2022-23, BRSR became mandatory for the top 1,000 listed companies, further solidifying the commitment to sustainability. The evolution continued in July 2023 with the launch of BRSR Core, mandating enhanced ESG disclosures in Annual Reports, thus emphasizing the importance of sustainability throughout the entire value chain.

Together, these developments chart a clear course toward embedding sustainability into the core of Indian business practices, aligning them with the global movement for responsible corporate behavior.