GOA : GoaInstitute of Management (GIM), has successfully concluded India’s first academic conference, “Digging Deeper: Rethinking India’s Mining Economy”. Conducted on 24th and 25th July 2025 by the Institute’s Centre for Public Policy and Governance (CPPG), this first-of-its-kind conference brought together scholars, policymakers, activists, and industry leaders to examine the political economy, governance, environmental impacts, and legal frameworks of mining in India.
Conducted in a hybrid mode, the conference featured eight distinguished keynote speakers, a high-level panel discussion, and the presentation of 24 research papers across four core themes:
• Political Economy of Mining
• Regulation, Contracts, Auctions, and Privatization
• Environment, People, Law, and Mining
• Mining in Goa
Speaking about the conference, Prof. Sebastian Morris, Chairperson, Centre for Public Policy and Governance, GIM, said, “The conference revealed significant lacunae in mining law, policy frameworks, and contracting that have enabled vast rents to be extracted, often at the cost of the people and the state.”
The conference featured multiple keynote addresses from dignitaries including:
- Dr. E. A. S. Sarma, IAS (Retd.) and former Secretary to the Government of India
- Shri Anil Swarup, IAS (Retd.) and former Secretary to the Government of India
- Prof. Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt, Professor. Australian National University
- Dr. Claude Alvares, Director, Goa Foundation
- Prof. Subhomoy Bhattacharjee, Director, Centre for Regulatory Governance, OP Jindal Global University
- Mr. Ravi Rebbapragada, Chairperson of Mines, Minerals and People
- Mr. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, independent journalist and political economist
- Dr. Dhiraj Kumar Nite, Associate Professor, Ambedkar University Delhi
The conference shed light to several critical issues related to mining in India covering governance, people, industry, and sustainability. The panel discussions held during the two-day event also presented actional recommendations on related topics. Key insights from these discussions included:
- The need for transparent, efficient auction and contract systems
- Stronger environmental regulation and enforcement
- Need to avoid the rampant hurt of local communities including tribals, and to have workable frameworks to empower local communities beyond compensation
With successful completion of the conference, the Institute plans to publish the key insights in the form of a book or a collection of conference papers to inform academics, policymakers, and practitioners.
With this first-of-its-kind conference, GIM reaffirms its commitment to contributing thought leadership and evidence-based research that can shape a more equitable, sustainable, and transparent future for India’s mining sector.
Picture Caption: (L to R) Mr. Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, Prof. Ajit Parulekar, Prof. Kingshuk Sarkar, Mr. Glenn Kalavampara, Shri Anil Swarup, Mr. Ravi Rebbapragada, Dr. Claude Alvares, Mr. Rahul Basu, Prof. Sudipto Mundle, and Prof. Sebastian Morris
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