To spread awareness among migrants to ensure safe migration for work, Dominic Asquith, British High Commissioner to India, launched a program ‘Promoting Responsible Migration from Source to Destination in Supply Chain’ at Orient Craft’s Ranchi facility.
Migratory workers have always played a key role in India’s apparel industry. Notably, India’s US $ 17 billion apparel export industry and US $ 50 billion worth apparel retail market provides employment to over 20 million people and is majorly dependent on workers who migrate from states of Bihar, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, among others.
Partnered by Partnering Hope into Action (PHIA) Foundation, a civil society organisation, the project is jointly funded by the UK Government and Marks & Spencer. The stakeholders will implement research study and awareness building programs for factory workers and communities in Jharkhand and Gurgaon.
Dominic Asquith said, “I am delighted to launch this project alongside well-known British brand M&S. Initiatives like this help promote responsible employment practices and cleaner supply chains. The UK Government remains committed to protecting the most vulnerable workers across the globe.”
He also added “The UK and India are working together, as a global Force for Good, to build a future where forced labourers and exploitation are truly a thing of the past.” M&S is one of the first international brands to source from Jharkhand. The brand believes researching into and promoting responsible migration will have a positive impact. Nidhi Dua, Country Manager, M&S also shared her thoughts on the subject and graced the occasion.