India’s rapidly expanding economy relies heavily on the mining sector to supply raw materials for energy production, infrastructure development, and industrial growth. However, mining activities generate vast quantities of waste, including overburden, waste rock, and tailings, which pose serious environmental and social challenges. These wastes may release toxic elements and contribute to land degradation, water contamination, and long-term ecological risks.

This review examines how circular economy principles can be applied to mining waste management in India, with the aim of transforming waste streams into valuable resources while minimizing environmental impacts. The study evaluates several strategic approaches, including waste minimization at the source, reprocessing of historical tailings to recover residual metals, and upcycling of mineral waste into construction materials such as bricks, blocks, ceramics, and geopolymer binders.

The paper also discusses the environmental implications of heavy metal contamination associated with mining waste, highlighting the risks posed by elements such as arsenic, lead, and cadmium in mining regions. In addition, emerging technologies such as digital monitoring systems, advanced mineral processing techniques, and artificial intelligence–based resource management are reviewed as tools that may support more sustainable mining practices.

The results indicate that integrating circular economy strategies into India’s mining sector could significantly reduce waste volumes, recover valuable metals, and support more sustainable resource utilization. These approaches provide both environmental and economic benefits and represent an important pathway toward responsible mineral resource management.