Mining industry as an integral part of India’s industrial growth, contributes significantly to national resource security, employment generation, and regional development. The eastern mining belt—comprising Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal—holds a substantial share of the country’s coal, iron ore, bauxite, and limestone reserves, making it strategically important for both public and private mining operations. This study critically examines the recruitment and selection practices adopted in the Indian mining industry with a specific empirical focus on the eastern region. Adopting a case-study–oriented regional approach data was collected from HR managers, recruitment executives, mining managers, safety officers, supervisors, and contract labour representatives across various mining units which revealed a pronounced dualism in recruitment and selection systems within the sector. Large public sector and organized private mines predominantly follow structured, policy-driven, and documented recruitment processes, whereas small and medium private mines rely heavily on informal, contractor-mediated, and referral-based hiring practices. Quantitative evidence indicates that nearly 47% of workforce recruitment occurs through contractors and informal channels, particularly for unskilled and semi-skilled labour, while campus recruitment and online portals together account for less than one-fourth of total hiring. The study also highlights role-based differentiation in selection methods: formal written tests, technical assessments, and multi-stage interviews are commonly used for managerial and technical positions, whereas physical fitness checks and supervisor recommendations dominate the selection of unskilled labour. Overall, the study underscores significant variations in transparency, compliance, and employee–job fit across segments of the mining industry and emphasizes the need for more standardized, inclusive, and technology-enabled recruitment frameworks to enhance workforce quality and governance in the sector.