Rio Tinto recently announced it has received an award for its work in building social capacity in communities surrounding its developing Bunder diamond project in India. The 2010-2011 Sitaram Rungta Social Awareness Award was conferred by the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI).

The annual award recognizes leadership in corporate social responsibility practices in the Indian mining industry, encompassing both social and environmental performance. This is the first time FIMI has granted a Social Awareness Award to a pre-mining project rather than an established mining operation.

“We are honored and proud to receive this prestigious award and wish to pay particular thanks to our workforce, community team and FIMI for their tireless support,” said Bruce Cox, managing director of Rio Tinto Diamonds. “Rio Tinto aims to set a new benchmark for mine development in India and has constructively engaged with local communities from its earliest days of exploration.

“For the past six years we have been actively working with local communities to understand how we can contribute to their ongoing development. Rio Tinto has a strong track record for social capacity building in the regions around the world in which it operates. We recognize that significant obligations are attached to accessing land for mining purposes.”

For more information, visit www.riotinto.com.