BRSR Reporting in India: A Complete Guide for FY 2025-26
Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting, or BRSR, has moved from a compliance afterthought to a board-level priority for hundreds of Indian companies. Mandated by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for the top listed companies by market capitalisation, BRSR is now the primary lens through which investors, lenders, and regulators judge a company’s environmental, social, and governance performance.
This guide covers who must file BRSR, what it actually asks for, the newer BRSR Core assurance requirements, and a practical path to getting your first (or next) report right.
What Is BRSR?
BRSR is a standardised disclosure format that requires companies to report their performance on nine principles drawn from the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC), covering ethics, employee wellbeing, human rights, environmental responsibility, public policy, inclusive growth, consumer value, and stakeholder engagement. SEBI replaced the older Business Responsibility Report (BRR) with BRSR starting FY 2022-23, adding quantifiable, comparable metrics instead of narrative-only disclosures.
Who Needs to File BRSR?
BRSR is mandatory for the top 1,000 listed companies by market capitalisation on the NSE and BSE. Many mid-sized and smaller listed companies outside this bracket, along with unlisted companies preparing for an IPO or responding to buyer/investor due diligence, are also adopting it voluntarily – it has effectively become the expected standard for credible sustainability disclosure in India, not just a regulatory checkbox for the largest firms.
The Nine BRSR Principles
Every BRSR report is structured around the nine NGRBC principles:
1. Businesses should conduct themselves with integrity and in a manner that is ethical, transparent, and accountable.
2. Businesses should provide goods and services in a manner that is sustainable and safe.
3. Businesses should respect and promote the wellbeing of all employees, including those in their value chains.
4. Businesses should respect the interests of and be responsive to all their stakeholders.
5. Businesses should respect and promote human rights.
6. Businesses should respect and make efforts to protect and restore the environment.
7. Businesses, when engaging in influencing public and regulatory policy, should do so in a manner that is responsible and transparent.
8. Businesses should promote inclusive growth and equitable development.
9. Businesses should engage with and provide value to their consumers in a responsible manner.
Each principle is reported through a mix of essential (mandatory) and leading (voluntary, aspirational) indicators, split across General Disclosures, Management and Process Disclosures, and Principle-wise Performance Disclosures.
BRSR Core and Assurance Requirements
SEBI introduced BRSR Core – a focused subset of key performance indicators across nine ESG attributes such as GHG emissions, water and energy footprint, employee wellbeing, and the value chain – that requires reasonable assurance, not just disclosure. The assurance requirement has been rolled out in phases: it started with the top 150 listed entities by market capitalisation from FY 2023-24 and is being extended progressively down to the top 1,000 entities by FY 2026-27. Large listed companies also need to obtain BRSR Core assurance for their value chain partners on a comply-or-explain basis, which is prompting many suppliers and vendors to prepare BRSR-aligned data for the first time even though they are not directly listed.
Common Challenges Companies Face
Most first-time and repeat filers run into the same handful of problems: data scattered across plants, HR systems, and finance with no single owner; a shortage of consistent baseline data for prior years to show trends; confusion over which indicators genuinely apply to their sector; and a scramble in the final weeks before the annual report deadline because ESG data collection was treated as a year-end activity instead of a continuous process.
How to Prepare for BRSR Reporting
A structured approach removes most of the last-minute pain. Start with a materiality assessment to identify which of the nine principles and underlying indicators matter most for your sector and stakeholders. Set up data collection systems and clear ownership for each data point across HR, EHS, procurement, finance, and CSR teams well before the reporting period closes. Benchmark your current performance against BRSR Core metrics even if assurance is not yet mandatory for your company, since the requirement is expanding every year. Build internal controls and documentation that can withstand assurance scrutiny, not just narrative reporting. Finally, treat BRSR as a continuous, quarter-by-quarter data discipline rather than an annual sprint.
How Safety Zest Helps
Safety Zest’s ESG reporting and disclosure services help Indian companies build BRSR-ready data systems, map operational EHS and sustainability data to the nine NGRBC principles, and prepare for BRSR Core assurance. Our ESG risk and compliance services and ESG strategy and advisory services complement this by helping you identify material risks early and build a credible sustainability roadmap, not just a compliant report.
Final Thoughts
BRSR is not going away, and the assurance net is widening every year. Companies that treat it as a genuine data and governance exercise – rather than a document produced once a year under deadline pressure – consistently produce stronger reports, face fewer assurance findings, and build more credibility with investors and lenders.
If you need help structuring your BRSR reporting process or preparing for BRSR Core assurance, talk to our ESG team for a confidential assessment of where your organisation stands today.
