A lot of the global economy is propped up by forced labor in Indian supply chains, and it’s costing vulnerable workers big time. This problem is everywhere and hidden in plain sight in the products we use daily. Millions are impacted, with knock-on effects felt in the global Indian community. Knowing what’s going on with forced labor in Indian supply chains shows why Brown families all over the world should care about buying ethically.
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Understanding Forced Labor in Indian Supply Chains
The practice of forced labor entails coercion, debt bondage, unpaid wages, and physical limitations that keep the workers in vicious circles. It operates in unorganized industries such as the small factories or rural operations in India, where control is minimal. The International Labour Organization estimates nearly 11 million people endure modern slavery here, with forced labor in Indian supply chains forming a major part.
Employees have to work 16-hour shifts, are beaten when their productivity is low, and their passports are taken away by their employers. These practices blatantly violate India’s Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act of 1976, yet weak enforcement allows forced labor in Indian supply chains to persist. The impoverished families find themselves in these traps, and this is mostly the case with the Dalits and the migrants of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
Recruitment agents will charge them exorbitant fees, which means lifetime debt, which works as a bonding factor for the workers. Women and children are victims of disproportions as they are subjected to sexual harassment and economic slavery. Forced labor in Indian supply chains generates massive illicit profits of around $36 billion annually, fueling organized crime networks.
Key Sectors Affected by Forced Labor
Garment, Textiles, and Seafood
The garment sector highlights forced labor in Indian supply chains, particularly Tamil Nadu‘s spinning mills running the infamous Sumangali scheme. The poor teenage girls are in closed hostels where they are promised lump sums of money by the employers, but the payments are never made. The factories serving Ralph Lauren and Marks & Spencer compel employees to sleep on the shop floors during the high seasons.
These mills are fed with cotton fields that subject children to labor, and most recently, Adidas and 60 other brands have been linked to child labor. Forced labor in Indian supply chains boosts $40 billion in textile exports but shatters young lives.
The processing of seafood contributes to the crisis with the shrimp, which is the largest import to the U.S, being banned in India. The US Department of Labor includes it in the number of scams involving debt bondage and recruitment where peelers are working in chemical-covered sheds without protection. Migrant workers from Odisha arrive via false promises, trapped in forced labor in Indian supply chains that risk global trade barriers.
Electronics and Beyond
So, here’s the deal: forced labor is hiding in the electronics factories of India. It’s happening because workers aren’t paid enough to live on, and they’re forced to work overtime. Migrant workers in places like Noida and Chennai get hit with big fees by brokers, and then they have to deal with unions being shut down and living in dorms. The companies that supply Apple, Samsung, and others are hiding all this.
It’s not just electronics, either. Brick-making and leather tanning in India also have forced labor problems. Often, these places are run by families that act like the mob. Whole villages are even putting up their kids as security for loans, which keeps families stuck in forced labor for generations.
Global Trade and Indian Community Impact
Multinational brands inadvertently sustain forced labor in Indian supply chains through superficial audits that factories easily fake. Indian tea, yarn, and shrimp are now under the scrutiny of measures in the US, such as the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which threatens 20 billion in exports.
The people of the West purchase inexpensive apparel and devices contaminated by pain, and Indian exporters lose the markets. Forced labor in Indian supply chains damages India’s global image, linking to the diaspora’s struggles, NRIs in Gulf states endure kafala system abuses mirroring home horrors.
To the world Indian population, this implies that at times remittances from ethical diaspora jobs are sent back to the abusive factories. Those colonial indentures resurfacing as Brown workers in other countries fight against exploitation of the homeland. It stains our entrepreneurial success narrative, calling on NRIs to insist on brands that they shop in to disclose their performance.
In the US and UK, global Indians endure the boycott of the Made in India goods, and this is offensive to the community. Forced labor in Indian supply chains calls for diaspora-led campaigns, connecting overseas prosperity to homeland justice.
Challenges and Path Forward
Deep supply chain opacity, corruption, and rural illiteracy enable forced labor in Indian supply chains. Unsafe industries escape audits, and victims are afraid of the repercussions of whistle-blowing.
The mapping of suppliers is promising with the help of blockchain tracking and AI audits. Brands will have to pay living wages and prohibit recruitment charges. The supply chain law suggested in India may require disclosures that are in line with EU requirements.
NGOs such as Anti-Slavery International bring out abuses where workers get empowered. Unions need strengthening to amplify voices from forced labor in Indian supply chains.
Those investors who focus on ESGs will be able to redirect funds to ethical companies. Governments need to take traffickers to court and bring 300,000 bonded workers to the rescue each year.
Conclusion
Forced labor in Indian supply chains undermines human dignity and integrity in the global trade and requires a concerted effort. The abolition of it will safeguard employees and enhance the ethical standards of manufacturing in India.
To the Indian people globally, being the victors would entail recovering our narrative, not of exploited labour but of strong leaders. Ethical supply chains are the future of every Brown family and will bring real prosperity.
FAQs
What defines modern slavery in global manufacturing?
Modern slavery includes things like debt that people can’t get out of, not getting paid what they earned, and being forced to work. These things keep workers stuck. In garment factories, young women often sign papers that say they will get paid later, but the people who own the factories don’t pay them. This makes it almost impossible to leave.
Which industries face the highest exploitation risks?
Textiles, seafood processing, and electronics are the biggest worries. Shrimp peelers deal with chemicals and work crazy hours. Electronics workers from other places have to pay a ton just to get a job.
How do international brands contribute to these issues?
Brands use different levels of suppliers, but audits aren’t cutting it. Factories put on a good show for inspections, making clothes for brands such as Ralph Lauren and Adidas, but they hide the bad stuff behind the scenes.
