Our mission is to eliminate child labor, ensure responsible working conditions, and promote sustainable mica supply chains that benefit communities globally, starting in India and Madagascar – two of the world’s key mica-producing regions.
Together with over 110 member organizations – including actors across the mica supply chain, and NGOs – we believe that real change comes through collaboration, accountability and long-term commitment.
Hidden in plain sight, mica – a natural mineral – is everywhere around us: in cars, phones, EV batteries, plastics, home appliances, cosmetics, paints and even construction materials. Yet, its extraction has often been linked to unsafe working conditions and child labor.
The RMI drives change through a three-pillar strategy:
We tackle the root causes of child labor by creating education opportunities, improving access to livelihoods, and strengthening community resilience.
We define and foster global standards that ensure safe, fair, and traceable mica production.
We advocate for responsible sourcing practices, formalized and transparent supply chains worldwide.
children supported through community empowerment programs
households benefiting from community empowerment programs
mica sorting sites supported and assessed against workplace standard
members uniting for responsible mica sourcing
Behind each statistic stands a life improved, a workplace made safer and a community strengthened.
Mica is a group of natural minerals known for their shiny, reflective properties and remarkable heat and electrical resistance. Found in thin, sheet-like layers, mica is valued across multiple industries – from cosmetics and electronics to automotive paints and batteries, construction materials, plastics, home appliances and renewable energy technologies.
Its various abilities and durability make it an essential component of many everyday products.
Despite its usefulness, the global mica trade has long been associated with unsafe working conditions, informal and artisanal small-scale mining, and child labor, particularly in regions like India and Madagascar, where much of the world’s mica is sourced. These challenges stem from poverty, lack of regulation, and limited access to alternative livelihoods in mica-producing communities.
Mica is a group of natural minerals known for their shiny, reflective properties and remarkable heat and electrical resistance. Found in thin, sheet-like layers, mica is valued across multiple industries – from cosmetics and electronics to automotive paints and batteries, construction materials, plastics, home appliances and renewable energy technologies.
Its various abilities and durability make it an essential component of many everyday products.
Despite its usefulness, the global mica trade has long been associated with unsafe working conditions, informal and artisanal small-scale mining, and child labor, particularly in regions like India and Madagascar, where much of the world’s mica is sourced. These challenges stem from poverty, lack of regulation, and limited access to alternative livelihoods in mica-producing communities.
Our field programs operate across mica-producing regions of Jharkhand, Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh (India), Androy and Anosy (Madagascar), where we collaborate with local NGOs, governments and mica processors to deliver systemic change.
To improve workplace practices, RMI has established three global standards that guide responsible mica production and processing :
Ensuring responsible labor practices and environmental responsibility.
Supporting small to medium semi-mechanized mines with safer and more responsible practices.
Promoting safe workplace conditions and adapted due diligence procedures for artisanal and small-scale minors.
These three standards are designed to be geographically agnostic, auditable and globally recognized, ensuring that every actor in the mica value chain can take part in building a better future.
Becoming an RMI member means joining a global community of 110+ active members that shares a clear goal: a world in which mica value chains are fair, responsible, sustainable and free of child labor.
Being an RMI member has no value of certification.
Members commit to contribute to RMI mission through financial support, traceability efforts, responsible purchase practices, strategic guidance, and hands-on collaboration in field and policy projects.
The collective efforts, if a strong enabler, do no relieve members from their individual responsibilities.
The Responsible Mica Initiative is thrilled to officially unveil RMI’s new visual identity and website!Rooted in a creative
The Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI) is taking a major step forward in advancing responsible sourcing with the launch
Strategic meetings for dialogue and alignment The Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI) recently held its first yearly meeting with
