At a Glance:

India banned asbestos mining in the year 1993. The country, however, remains one of the world’s largest importers of chrysotile asbestos. Many countries have banned asbestos, citing health dangers, such as those well stated by the World Health Organization. However, industries like construction can’t resist the use of asbestos despite its cost-effectiveness. The health problems arising from asbestos exposure, such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis, have been well documented, but India remains heavily reliant on this mineral, which is a very big public health issue.

What Year Was Asbestos Banned in India?

India has been one of the global centers of consumption of asbestos for decades, and even though India stopped mining asbestos in 1993, it remains one of the largest importers of chrysotile asbestos, which is generally consumed in the construction and manufacturing sectors. Although its mining was prohibited, India continues to face major issues pertaining to asbestos-containing materials’ regulation and consumption. Knowing the timeline and implications of India’s asbestos ban sets a clearer picture with regards to health risks, regulations, and solution comprehension.

History of Asbestos in India

Asbestos has been in India since several decades ago, largely implemented because it was a cost-effective material, resistant to heat, and long-lasting. These properties made it suitable for various industries-from construction to automotive companies. It did have applications in all kinds of areas. Since the 1980s, however, studies revealed that asbestos exposure posed severe risks to humans, especially dangerous diseases such as mesothelioma and cancer.

In response to these health issues, and to answer what year was asbestos banned in India – it was in 1993, but this ban didn’t extend to the use or importation of asbestos-containing products. In contrast to countries like Canada, which used to mine very large quantities of asbestos, had later totally banned it, India has been a bit more gradual in its approach.

Timeline of Asbestos Regulation in India: 1986 to 2025

Year	Development	Significance
1986	Environment Protection Act enacted	Gave central government authority to regulate hazardous substances
1989	Manufacture, Storage & Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules	Formally listed asbestos as a hazardous chemical
1993	Commercial asbestos mining banned	Landmark step  but importation and use left unrestricted
1997	Factories Act amended	Mandated protective equipment for asbestos-handling workers
2006	First Rotterdam Convention COP on chrysotile	India joins bloc blocking the international listing
2011	National Human Rights Commission recommendation	Formally recommended a complete asbestos ban
2017	Supreme Court orders stricter enforcement	Directed states to implement existing factory safety regulations
2022	Rotterdam Convention COP-10	India again blocks chrysotile Annex III listing
2025	No federal ban enacted	India remains one of the world’s largest chrysotile importers

Chrysotile Asbestos: The Continued Dilemma

One of the major components of asbestos is chrysotile asbestos, commonly known as white asbestos, and it is one of the major contributing factors to the country’s continued dependence on asbestos products. Even though the government has taken steps to regulate the use of asbestos, the country still continues to import large quantities of asbestos, primarily for the manufacture of asbestos-cement sheets, brake linings and insulation products.

Although chrysotile asbestos is classified as one of the toxic chemicals, partial to complete phasing out of the very cheap and useful product in construction materials still presents challenges. India’s asbestos consumers are also against its removal on the world stage. In 2017, during the Rotterdam Convention, India opposed the inclusion of asbestos in the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) list of hazardous products so that it could come under strict international regulations.

Legal Scenario and Health Concerns

India has taken a restrictive stance on asbestos. It recognises that the compound is risky to health and has laid down regulations to deal with its use, but enforcement has been weak. Therefore, industries have been using asbestos products, allegedly violating most of the safety principles designed to regulate the use of such products. The main reasons for the government not imposing a blanket ban are economic. If anything, the construction industry relies heavily on cheap asbestos-based products.

Many health experts and environmental activists demand that the government take a tough stance on banning asbestos altogether. It has been proven that long-term exposure to asbestos fibres leads to serious respiratory diseases, including asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Without such a blanket ban, many vulnerable workers and communities are exposed to these dangerous risks.

Asbestos-Related Disease Statistics in India: What the Numbers Say

The health burden of asbestos exposure in India is both significant and chronically underreported. Unlike countries with robust occupational health registries, India lacks a centralised national database for asbestos-related diseases  a gap that itself has been cited by health advocates as a policy failure.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that approximately 107,000 people die globally each year from asbestos-related occupational diseases, including mesothelioma, asbestosis, and lung cancer. Independent epidemiological studies suggest India accounts for a disproportionate share of this burden given its import volumes and the absence of effective workplace protections in the unorganised construction sector.

Research published by the Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine has documented asbestosis rates exceeding 20% among long-term asbestos cement factory workers in states like Gujarat and Maharashtra. Mesothelioma, the cancer most specifically linked to asbestos, has a latency period of 20–50 years, meaning India is only now beginning to see the full disease consequences of the industrial asbestos use that peaked in the 1970s–1990s.

Crucially, workers in small-scale manufacturing units  which handle the bulk of chrysotile asbestos in India  frequently lack access to medical screening, legal recourse, or compensation mechanisms. This statistical invisibility makes asbestos one of India’s most underappreciated occupational health crises.

What year was asbestos banned globally?

India is moving in the opposite direction of the global trend where many countries, including the United States, European Union countries and Australia have banned the use of asbestos, as it is hazardous to health. A complete ban on the use of asbestos was implemented in many European countries in the 1990s. Countries like Canada followed suit in 2018. Meanwhile, India imports a considerable amount of chrysotile asbestos annually for construction and manufacturing purposes.

Notably, the EPA has been a pioneer in terms of asbestos regulation and eventual ban in the United States. In 1989, the EPA asbestos ban attempted to completely stall the sale, use and distribution of asbestos products; however, this was rolled back due to massive litigation on behalf of the asbestos industry. Without globalization of mandates, asbestos remains an issue that is not widely agreed upon, with third world countries such as India continuing to consider economic utility over health concerns.

Economic and political reasons behind the continued use of asbestos

The reason for the presence of asbestos in India today – despite EPA asbestos ban and other movements globally –  is basically economic. They are much cheaper than their alternatives, and the construction industry particularly depends on it. There is a huge demand for asbestos-cement roofing sheets in the rural sector, where affordable housing has to be provided. In addition, a large number of workers are employed in the chrysotile asbestos industry and, therefore, the issue also gets a political dimension.

Industrial growth and the demand for affordable housing in India have maintained a constant level of demand for asbestos. Economic pressure does not allow the government to take the tough decision to ban the use of asbestos despite such decisive and undeniable dangers to human life. Activists and environmental groups demand a complete ban due to the long-term health risks associated with the use of asbestos and a shift towards safer alternatives.

What Happened in 2025: Key Developments

India saw some of its most significant asbestos-related regulatory activity in years during 2025.

NGT Judgment (October/November 2025): The National Green Tribunal issued a major ruling in the case of Raja Singh vs Union of India. The NGT stopped short of ordering an immediate blanket ban but made several important declarations:

• Officially declared asbestos fibres as air pollutants, water pollutants and environmental pollutants under Indian law
• Rejected the asbestos industry’s claim that fibres are permanently locked in cement and cannot be released during weathering or demolition
• Affirmed that there is no safe level of asbestos exposure
• Directed the Ministry of Environment to review global scientific evidence and best practices within six months and issue formal policy guidelines
• Ordered state Chief Secretaries to ensure compliance with the directions

The judgment stopped short of banning asbestos outright, but publicly endorsed the Environment Ministry’s own vision statement calling for a phase-out.

Education Ministry ban: India’s Education Ministry banned asbestos in the construction and refurbishment of all Kendriya Vidyalayas and Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, central government school networks across the country. This was a direct response to long-running concerns about children’s exposure.

Indian Railways: The Union Railway Ministry completed the phase-out of asbestos roofing from all 9,274 railway stations across India, a significant operational-scale demonstration that large-scale replacement is possible.

Occupational Safety Code 2020, notified November 2025: The OSH Code consolidates laws on hazardous substances including asbestos. It acknowledges the hazardous nature of asbestos but does not ban it.

India and the Rotterdam Convention: Why India Has Blocked the Global Asbestos Listing

One of the most telling indicators of India’s position on asbestos is its repeated blocking of chrysotile asbestos being listed under Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention  a multilateral environmental treaty that governs the trade of hazardous chemicals through a Prior Informed Consent (PIC) mechanism.

Under the Rotterdam Convention, listing a substance in Annex III means that exporting countries must notify importing countries of the hazards involved, and importing countries can formally refuse shipments. Since chrysotile asbestos was first proposed for listing in 2006, consensus at the Conference of the Parties has been blocked multiple times  with India, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Zimbabwe forming the dissenting bloc at successive COPs (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2022).

India’s official position has consistently argued that chrysotile asbestos, used under “controlled conditions,” does not meet the threshold for Rotterdam listing. Critics, including the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS), argue that this position is driven by the domestic asbestos-cement industry, which employs a significant labour force and contributes substantially to India’s construction material supply chain.

This geopolitical manoeuvring is central to understanding why India’s asbestos ban remains partial: the economic and diplomatic machinery surrounding chrysotile imports is deeply entrenched, making a full legislative ban politically costly even when the scientific evidence is unambiguous.

Asbestos Use in India: Role of Importers

The main reason for continuous use of asbestos in India is due to the contribution of importers in the country’s asbestos industry. Though India has stopped its asbestos mining since 1993, the country has still emerged as one of the largest importers of chrysotile asbestos, mainly from Russia, Kazakhstan, and Brazil. Such imports are consequently utilized in the manufacture of various products, such as roofing sheets, flooring, and even insulation products. Asbestos industry has a strong economic influence in both the construction and automobile industries, and the reason that asbestos-containing materials persist in India despite mounting evidence of health risks is of predominantly economic interest.

Also Read: Difference Between Chemical Importers and Exporters in India

Moving Forward: Can Asbestos Be Fully Banned in India?

Country	Year of Full Ban	Notes
Iceland	1983	First country to implement a national ban
Denmark	1986	Comprehensive ban across all asbestos types
Germany	1993	Full ban including chrysotile
Sweden	1993	All asbestos types prohibited
Australia	2003	Full ban on importation, use, and manufacture
United Kingdom	1999	Chrysotile ban completed after amphiboles in 1985
Canada	2018	Banned despite being a historic major producer and exporter
Japan	2006	Full ban after phased restrictions from 1995
India	Not yet	Only mining banned (1993); importation and use continue

A complete ban of asbestos in India would lower public health risks by a huge margin and enforce the development of safer alternatives. Regulations have already been established, but these do not cover the risks associated with chrysotile asbestos properly. India finds itself on challenging grounds regarding the balance between economic interests, particularly construction, with the growing need for public health protection. This would mean investing in asbestos substitute materials and would strengthen the legal framework. Until then, the country is at risk, and more radical steps are called for in defending its vulnerable workers and communities against asbestos-related illnesses.

Asbestos Exposure in India: Rights, Risks, and What Workers Should Know

Disease	Cause	Latency Period	Prognosis
Mesothelioma	Asbestos fibre inhalation	20–50 years	Poor; median survival 12–18 months post-diagnosis
Asbestosis	Chronic fibre inhalation	10–20 years	Progressive; no cure, managed symptomatically
Lung Cancer	Asbestos + often smoking	15–35 years	Variable; significantly worsened by asbestos exposure
Pleural Plaques	Fibre deposits on lung lining	10–30 years	Generally non-malignant but indicates significant exposure
Laryngeal Cancer	Inhaled fibres	20–40 years	Classified as causally linked by IARC

For the millions of construction workers, factory employees, and renovation contractors who handle asbestos-containing materials in India daily, understanding their rights and health options is critical. Unlike many developed nations, India does not have a dedicated asbestos victims’ compensation fund, but several legal and health frameworks do apply.

Under the Factories Act, 1948 and the Employees’ Compensation Act, 1923, workers diagnosed with occupational diseases  including asbestosis  are entitled to compensation from their employer. In practice, claiming this compensation requires medical documentation that many affected workers in the unorganised sector cannot easily obtain, given the 20–50 year disease latency.

If you suspect asbestos exposure, the following steps are recommended:

• Seek a chest X-ray and pulmonary function test through a registered occupational health physician.
• Document your work history and the materials you handled.
• File a complaint with the Directorate General Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI) if your employer failed to provide protective equipment.
• Consult a labour law attorney regarding compensation eligibility under the Employees’ Compensation Act.

Non-governmental organisations such as the Ban Asbestos Network of India (BANI) also offer guidance to affected individuals and advocate for policy reform. Awareness of these resources is the first step in protecting both individual health and driving the broader policy change India’s asbestos crisis demands.

Public Awareness and Advocacy for an Absolute Ban

Indian society has been witnessing increased public awareness and activism on health problems due to asbestos in the last few years. Various organizations, including the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), have aired views and stretched efforts to engage with a large section of society regarding the health risk posed by exposure to asbestos. Although there have been some efforts by the government to regulate its use, increasing pressure from these groups has emerged to enforce a complete asbestos ban. However, even issues of global health impacts, particularly incidence rates of mesothelioma and lung cancer, have triggered public interest in stricter regulations. Public campaigns on health and advocacy have raised the need for a national policy that would ensure asbestos phasing out and support those industries which are phasing out to replace with safer alternatives.

Emerging Alternatives to Asbestos in India

Although asbestos has remained the leading product in India’s market, there are current emerging alternatives to asbestos-based materials. For decades, industries have been experimenting with and gradually incorporating fiber-cement boards, glass wool, and rock wool for construction and insulation purposes. Though the change to safer options has been slow, there’s hope for the reduction in the country’s reliance on more dangerous asbestos. India can compensate for these health risks by encouraging innovation and subsidizing safer materials while still fulfilling the urgent demand for affordable building products that are also durable.

Chrysotile vs. Amphibole Asbestos: Understanding the Debate That Keeps Chrysotile Legal

A central argument made by pro-chrysotile lobbying groups  and one that has significantly shaped India’s regulatory stance  is that chrysotile (white asbestos) is meaningfully safer than the six amphibole asbestos varieties (including crocidolite and amosite) that have been more comprehensively banned globally.

Proponents of this “controlled use” doctrine argue that chrysotile fibres are more bio-soluble than amphibole fibres, meaning they dissolve faster in lung tissue and therefore pose a lower carcinogenic risk. This distinction has been cited repeatedly in India’s submissions to the Rotterdam Convention Conference of the Parties.

However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the World Health Organization, and the International Labour Organization (ILO) all classify chrysotile asbestos as a Group 1 carcinogen  the highest classification  stating unequivocally that there is no safe level of exposure. The scientific consensus does not support a meaningful safety distinction between chrysotile and amphibole varieties when it comes to cancer risk.

Understanding this debate matters because it underpins nearly every policy argument used to delay a full asbestos ban in India. Recognising the gap between industry-funded “controlled use” science and the global scientific consensus is essential for anyone evaluating whether India’s current regulatory position is evidence-based or commercially motivated.

FAQ 

Q1: Is asbestos still legal in India?
Asbestos mining has been banned in India since 1993, but the importation, sale, and use of asbestos, particularly chrysotile (white) asbestos  remains legal. India is currently one of the world’s largest importers of chrysotile asbestos, primarily used in the manufacture of asbestos cement sheets, brake linings, and insulation materials for the construction and automotive sectors. There is no comprehensive federal legislation prohibiting its use as of 2025.

Q2: What year was asbestos mining banned in India?
India banned all commercial asbestos mining in 1993 under powers granted by the Environment Protection Act of 1986. However, this ban was limited strictly to domestic extraction. It did not prohibit the import of asbestos from other countries, nor did it restrict the manufacture, sale, or use of asbestos-containing products. India subsequently became reliant on imported chrysotile asbestos, particularly from Russia, Brazil, and Kazakhstan, to meet industrial demand.

Q3: Why hasn’t India fully banned asbestos despite the known health risks?
India’s continued use of asbestos is driven by a combination of economic factors, industrial lobbying, and the cost advantage asbestos-containing materials offer in construction. Chrysotile asbestos cement sheets are significantly cheaper than alternatives such as fibre cement or polycarbonate roofing. India has also actively blocked international efforts  specifically the Rotterdam Convention listings  to restrict chrysotile trade, arguing it can be used “safely under controlled conditions,” a position contradicted by the WHO, IARC, and ILO.

Q4: What diseases are caused by asbestos exposure in India?
Asbestos exposure is causally linked to several serious diseases including mesothelioma (a rare and aggressive cancer of the lung lining), lung cancer, asbestosis (progressive scarring of lung tissue), pleural plaques, and laryngeal cancer. All of these conditions have long latency periods of 15–50 years between exposure and diagnosis, meaning India is currently experiencing the medical consequences of industrial asbestos use from decades past. The WHO classifies all asbestos types, including chrysotile, as Group 1 carcinogens with no safe exposure level.

Q5: Which countries have completely banned asbestos?
Over 70 countries have implemented a full ban on asbestos, including Australia (2003), Canada (2018), all EU member states, the United Kingdom (1999), Japan (2006), and most of South America including Brazil (2017). Notably, Canada, once one of the world’s largest asbestos producers and exporters, completed a comprehensive ban in 2018. India, China, Russia, and several Central Asian nations remain among the major holdouts, collectively accounting for the majority of global chrysotile asbestos consumption.

Q6: What is chrysotile asbestos and how is it different from other types?
Chrysotile asbestos, also called white asbestos, is the most commercially used form of asbestos and the only variety India continues to import in large quantities. It belongs to the serpentine mineral family and has curly fibres, unlike the needle-like amphibole fibres found in crocidolite (blue) and amosite (brown) asbestos. Industry groups have argued chrysotile is less dangerous due to its higher bio-solubility. However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies chrysotile as a confirmed human carcinogen with no established safe level of exposure.

Q7: How many people die from asbestos-related diseases in India each year?
Precise national data is difficult to obtain because India lacks a centralised occupational disease registry. The WHO estimates 107,000 asbestos-related deaths globally per year. Independent studies, including research published in the Indian Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, have found asbestosis rates above 20% among long-term asbestos cement factory workers in states such as Gujarat and Maharashtra. The true figure in India is believed to be significantly underreported due to the unorganised nature of many asbestos-handling industries and the decades-long disease latency.

Q8: What are the safest alternatives to asbestos in Indian construction?
Several viable and increasingly cost-competitive alternatives to asbestos-containing materials are available for Indian builders and manufacturers. For roofing  asbestos’s largest use case  fibre cement sheets (using cellulose, PVA, or glass fibre reinforcement), polycarbonate roofing panels, and galvanised steel sheets are widely used. For insulation, mineral wool (rock wool or slag wool), calcium silicate boards, and ceramic fibre products serve as safe substitutes. For brake linings, non-asbestos organic (NAO) compounds and semi-metallic brake pads have largely replaced asbestos in the automotive sector internationally and are increasingly available in India.

Conclusion

Although India had banned asbestos mining in 1993, the country remains a leading importer of chrysotile asbestos mainly because of economic motives and the need to acquire cheap materials for construction. The continued risks to health posed by asbestos are very well established, and a comprehensive ban on its use could go a long way in serving public health purposes. Such efforts are, however, counterbalanced by the ongoing urge to grow industrially-the kind of growth the construction industry seeks. New alternatives to asbestos are slowly opening up vistas for a safer and greener India.

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