Known fashion brands bought cotton grown by children in India, says report

Under Indian law, children under 14 are prohibited from working in most situations, while those between 14 and 18 are barred from being employed in hazardous occupations. Photo: AFP

Some of the best-known global apparel brands procured cotton grown in Indian farms that employ child and bonded labourers, a report by a US-based rights group alleged Tuesday (Jan 7).

An investigation by Transparentem into the working conditions on 90 cotton farms in India's Madhya Pradesh state between 2022 and 2023 revealed "widespread use of child labour and illegal adolescent labour", the New York-based non-profit said.