Key takeaways
- BRSR is the sustainability-reporting format that SEBI requires of listed companies in India, built around the nine principles of the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC).
- The report has three sections — general disclosures, management and process disclosures, and principle-wise performance — and each principle has essential and leadership indicators.
- BRSR Core is a focused set of key indicators that are subject to assurance, so the data behind them must be well-controlled.
- Good BRSR reporting is a data-and-governance job, not a design job: define owners, methods and evidence for every number.
- Check SEBI's current circulars for applicability, formats and assurance requirements before you plan your reporting cycle.
Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) is the framework through which listed companies in India disclose their environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance. It is prescribed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and is part of the annual report. For investors, lenders and customers, it has become a standard way to compare how companies manage sustainability risks and opportunities.
What is BRSR?
BRSR replaced the earlier Business Responsibility Report (BRR). It is aligned with the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC) issued by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, and it asks companies for quantitative and qualitative disclosures — not just policies, but numbers such as energy use, emissions, water consumption, waste, employee data and safety performance.
How a BRSR is structured
| Section | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Section A — General disclosures | Company details, products and services, operations, employees, holding and subsidiary entities, CSR, turnover, and transparency and grievance information |
| Section B — Management and process disclosures | How the company has embedded each principle: policies, governance, leadership oversight, and review of performance |
| Section C — Principle-wise performance | Detailed performance indicators for each of the nine principles, split into Essential Indicators and Leadership Indicators |
Essential indicators are the ones every reporting company must disclose. Leadership indicators go further and are intended for companies that want to demonstrate a higher level of practice.
The nine principles
| Principle | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ethics, transparency and accountability |
| 2 | Sustainable and safe goods and services |
| 3 | Employee well-being, including the value chain |
| 4 | Stakeholder responsiveness |
| 5 | Human rights |
| 6 | Environment — energy, water, emissions, waste, biodiversity |
| 7 | Responsible policy advocacy |
| 8 | Inclusive growth and equitable development |
| 9 | Consumer value and responsible engagement |
The environmental disclosures under Principle 6 usually need the most technical work: energy consumption, greenhouse-gas emissions, water withdrawal and discharge, air emissions and waste generation and disposal. These numbers must be calculated with a defined method and supported by records.
BRSR Core and assurance
BRSR Core is a smaller set of key performance indicators drawn from the wider BRSR, chosen because they are comparable and verifiable. Disclosures in this set are subject to assurance — an independent check of the data and how it was compiled. Assurance changes how a company should approach reporting: it is no longer enough for a figure to look reasonable; there must be a trail of evidence from the source record to the reported number.
An eight-step approach to preparing your report
- 1. Confirm applicability and scope. Establish which entities, locations and period are in scope, and which formats apply.
- 2. Run a gap assessment. Compare what you can report today against what the BRSR asks for, indicator by indicator.
- 3. Identify material topics and stakeholders. A short materiality exercise tells you where to focus management attention and narrative.
- 4. Assign data owners. For every indicator, name the person accountable for the number, the source and the frequency.
- 5. Fix the calculation methods. Document how you calculate emissions, water, energy and waste — including boundaries, emission factors and units.
- 6. Build controls and evidence. Keep source records — meter readings, invoices, manifests, HR registers — organised for review.
- 7. Draft, review and reconcile. Cross-check the numbers against financial and operating records, then have senior management and the board review the report.
- 8. Prepare for assurance. Walk through the data trail for the assured indicators before the assurer does.
Common pitfalls
- Treating BRSR as a year-end exercise. Collect data monthly or quarterly so gaps surface early.
- Inconsistent boundaries. Reporting some sites in one indicator and others in another undermines credibility.
- Unsupported numbers. A figure without a record behind it is a risk at assurance.
- Copying last year's narrative. Reviewers notice when the policy text does not match current practice.
- Overlooking the value chain. Several indicators ask about suppliers and partners; decide early how you will gather this.
How Bharti Enviro can help
Our sustainability team supports companies with BRSR reporting, ESG rating and sustainability reporting, GHG accounting, product carbon footprint studies and sustainability gap analysis. We work with your data owners to set up the methods, evidence and review process so that your report is both complete and defensible.
Frequently asked questions
What is BRSR?
BRSR stands for Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting. It is the ESG disclosure format prescribed by SEBI for listed companies in India, and is published as part of the annual report.
What is the difference between BRSR and BRR?
The Business Responsibility Report (BRR) was the earlier, largely qualitative format. BRSR replaced it with a more detailed structure that asks for quantitative performance data across the nine NGRBC principles.
What are the nine principles of BRSR?
They come from the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct: ethics and transparency; sustainable goods and services; employee well-being; stakeholder responsiveness; human rights; environment; responsible policy advocacy; inclusive growth; and consumer value.
What is BRSR Core?
BRSR Core is a focused subset of key indicators from the BRSR that are subject to assurance. It is designed to make the most important ESG metrics more comparable and verifiable.
Who needs to file a BRSR?
SEBI specifies which listed entities must report, and can revise this through its circulars. Check SEBI's current notifications for the latest applicability.
What is the difference between essential and leadership indicators?
Essential indicators must be disclosed by every reporting company. Leadership indicators go further and reflect a higher level of practice; companies are encouraged to report them.
Do we need an external consultant for BRSR?
It is not mandatory, but many companies use one to run the gap assessment, set up methods for emissions, water and waste calculations, and prepare data trails for assurance.
