Clothes make the man—but those who make the clothes are often left behind. While India’s middle class eagerly follows fashion trends, the country’s economic boom comes at the expense of its working class. Once known as the „Manchester of the Orient,“ Ahmedabad still echoes with the hum of textile factories along the Sabarmati River. These factories churn out fabrics destined for global markets. Mahatma Gandhi, who founded his ashram here, envisioned a nation built on equality, tolerance, and non-violence. But today, India’s reality tells a different story.

From child laborers on Gujarat’s cotton plantations to workers laundering clothes for the wealthy, these lives exist far from the ideals of fair trade or Bollywood’s glamour. Many laborers endure double shifts under inhumane conditions, rarely seeing sunlight. Exposure to chemicals, dyes, and cotton dust takes a heavy toll, shortening life expectancy, which already falls below the national average.

Unlike neighboring Bangladesh, India lacks a strong strike culture. Fear and disorganization keep workers from protesting, as losing one’s job in a country of 1.2 billion is a constant threat. Although labor and environmental laws exist, enforcing them remains a challenge amid the chaos of India’s cities and economically struggling rural areas. With a complex and opaque supply chain, global brands easily evade responsibility by outsourcing production.

Yet India is changing. Development is happening—slowly but surely. But as long as corruption, bribery, and greed drive this progress, little of the economic prosperity will reach those who need it most. And while we search for someone to blame, we must also confront our own role in this system and our ‘tight is right’ consumer mentality.