Forced Labour in Global Supply Chains
India's Exposure
Forced labour refers to work performed by a person under threat of penalty and for which the person has not offered themselves voluntarily (ILO definition). India faces documented concerns in specific sectors: brick kilns (using bonded labour), stone quarrying, garment supply chains in some states, and domestic work. The US Tariff Act Section 307 (1930) prohibits imports made with forced labour; the loophole of "consumptive demand" (allowing forced-labour goods if domestic demand exceeded domestic supply) was closed in 2016 under the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act. The UFLPA (2022) specifically blacklisted goods from China's Xinjiang region.
- ILO estimates: 27.6 million people in forced labour globally (2021 data); approximately 5.3 million in Asia-Pacific
- India's constitutional provisions: Article 23 (right against exploitation — prohibits traffic in human beings and forced labour/begar)
- Indian legislation: Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act 1976; Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986; Juvenile Justice Act 2015
- India has ratified ILO Forced Labour Convention 29 (1930) and Abolition of Forced Labour Convention 105 (1957)
- India's BLS Act 1976: freed bonded labourers must be rehabilitated with land or alternative livelihood support — implementation varies
● Tracked since March 13, 2026 · last seen March 14, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes