<p>Climate change significantly threatens vulnerable groups, especially tribal communities in India. This study bridged the gap in understanding the perceptions about climate change and its impacts among tribal communities in Central India. The objective was to evaluate the effects of socioeconomic determinants on these perceptions, employing a sample of 274 respondents in the Dhar district and utilising a mixed-methods approach that combined quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews. Trend analysis of climate data (1974–2023) revealed increased average temperatures (ITA = 0.048) and rainfall variability (ITA = 0.249). The findings showed that tribal communities demonstrate significant awareness of climate change, with 96.7% recognising unpredictable rainfall and 98.5% identifying increasing temperatures. The perceptions of climate change impacts varied. For example, 50.73% reported increasing drought occurrences. The binary logistic regression demonstrated the influence of socioeconomic factors on climate change perception (Pseudo-R2 = 0.2297). Determinants such as gender (<i>OR</i> = 1.85), access to safe drinking water (<i>OR</i> = 2.67), and education (<i>OR</i> = 1.54) significantly influenced the likelihood of perceived climate change. Furthermore, ordered logistic regression revealed that higher levels of education, improved access to information, and better economic status were positively correlated with better awareness of climate change impacts. The study suggested that for each unit, there was an enhancement in information access and associated increases in the likelihood of recognising adverse impacts of climate change. These findings highlighted the necessity for focused climate-smart policies and educational programs that improved information accessibility and strengthened the resilience of tribal communities.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>