Giridih Mica Mining Craft Jharkhand

Giridih district in the Jharkhand plateau is the heart of India's mica belt, containing some of the world's largest reserves of muscovite (ruby mica) and phlogopite used in electrical insulation, cosmetics, and electronics. The mica mining industry of Giridih, operating since the 19th century, has created a unique heritage landscape of open-pit mica workings and underground mines with a workforce of Kurmi, Ganjhu, and tribal communities who sort, split, and cut mica sheets for industrial buyers. Post-independence mica mining has shifted from systematic mines to informal picking of mica waste dumps; the cosmetic industry's demand for mica has created a supply chain audit challenge around child labour in Giridih's informal mica sector.