This briefing paper from Cividep India explores the role of Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) in supporting fair wages, improved working conditions, and corporate accountability in India’s garment industry. Focusing on disclosures from eight garment companies, it examines four themes: wages, informality, gender disparities, and freedom of association.
Findings reveal gaps between living wage standards and reported median wages, gender pay disparities averaging INR 483 per month, high levels of contractual employment, and a lack of clear reporting on freedom of association. The paper calls for strengthened BRSR requirements, particularly in wage transparency, attrition linked to contract labour, and the use of other public data sources for a comprehensive view of supply chain labour practices.