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The Indus Craft Co. | Crafting Nature into Life.
Version 1.0 • Effective Date: 22 June 2026 • Annual Review: June 2027
20 Suren Tagore Road, Kolkata – 700019, West Bengal, India
Legal Framework — Why This Statement Exists
This Statement is published in accordance with:
UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 — Section 54 requires organisations with annual turnover above £36 million supplying goods or services in the UK (or whose supply chain includes UK-connected entities) to publish an annual Modern Slavery Statement. TICC publishes this statement voluntarily and as a commitment to UK buyers.
Australia Modern Slavery Act 2018 — Entities operating in Australia with annual consolidated revenue of AUD 100 million or more must report. TICC publishes this statement voluntarily in support of its Australian wholesale buyers who themselves have reporting obligations under this Act.
EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) — Applicable to large EU companies and their supply chains. TICC supplies EU buyers who have direct obligations; this statement forms part of TICC's supply chain disclosure to those buyers.
ILO Core Labour Standards — TICC's ethical sourcing commitments are guided by the International Labour Organisation's eight fundamental conventions, including freedom from forced labour (Conventions 29 & 105) and child labour (Conventions 138 & 182).
The Indus Craft Co. ("TICC") is a wholesale export business based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India (GSTIN: 19AAXFT9159Q1ZK; IEC: AAXFT9159Q). We curate and export handcrafted products made by skilled artisans across India — connecting India's rich craft heritage with conscious buyers in the United Kingdom, United States, European Union, Canada, Australia, the Middle East, and other markets.
Our product range includes natural fibre and textile goods, wooden and bamboo articles, ceramic and terracotta ware, basketry and rattan products, handloom and block-print textiles, and other artisan-produced home décor and lifestyle products. Every product is made to order by individual artisans and small artisan cooperatives — no mass production, no factories, no anonymous labour.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Registered Name | The Indus Craft Co. |
| Registered Address | 20 Suren Tagore Road, Kolkata – 700019, West Bengal, India |
| Nature of Business | Wholesale export of handcrafted artisan goods — Made in India |
| Markets Served | UK, USA, EU, Canada, Australia, Middle East, and other international markets |
| Annual Report / Compliance | This Statement published annually; current edition effective 22 June 2026 |
TICC operates a curated sourcing model. We do not own or operate manufacturing facilities. Instead, we source exclusively from a network of vetted artisan vendors — individual craftspeople, family-run workshops, artisan cooperatives, and small-scale craft enterprises located in traditional craft clusters across India. This is the nature of India's artisan economy: decentralised, community-based, and deeply embedded in regional culture.
Our vendor network spans multiple states, each known for distinct craft traditions:
| State / Region | Primary Craft Traditions | Artisan Profile |
|---|---|---|
| Rajasthan | Block-print textiles, blue pottery, marble and stone craft, lac jewellery, leather goods | Traditional family workshops; multi-generational craft skills |
| West Bengal | Terracotta, kantha embroidery, dokra metal craft, muslin weaving, cane basketry | Artisan cooperatives and individual craftspeople |
| Uttar Pradesh | Brass and metal craft, wood carving, lacquerware | Craft clusters with direct artisan production |
| Haryana | Handloom textiles, traditional weaving | Weaver cooperatives |
| Kerala | Coir and natural fibre products, bamboo craft, spice-based goods | Community craft groups |
| Assam | Bamboo and cane craft, eri silk, traditional weaving | Indigenous artisan communities |
| Tamil Nadu | Tanjore craft, bronze casting, silk weaving | Traditional family-run workshops |
| Other States | Varied craft traditions as sourcing expands | Vetted on a case-by-case basis |
TICC's supply chain is generally shallow — we work directly with the artisans who make our products. There are no intermediary factories, sub-contractors, or complex tier-2 / tier-3 manufacturing layers typically associated with mass-produced goods. This direct relationship is fundamental to our business model and gives us genuine visibility into the conditions under which our products are made.
Tier 1 (Direct Vendors): Artisan craftspeople, family workshops, and small cooperatives who make TICC products directly. TICC has direct commercial and personal relationships with all Tier 1 vendors.
Tier 2 (Raw Material Suppliers): Suppliers of raw materials (natural fibres, dyes, clays, timber, metals) to our artisan vendors. TICC encourages its vendors to source from ethical suppliers and conducts periodic enquiries into raw material sourcing.
Logistics Partners: DHL Express (international courier) and freight forwarding partners. These are established international service providers with their own published ethics and modern slavery policies.
TICC takes its responsibility to identify and address modern slavery risks seriously. We have conducted a risk assessment of our supply chain, considering the following factors:
| Risk Factor | TICC Assessment | Mitigating Factors |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Risk — India |
Medium India is classified as a higher-risk sourcing country in some global modern slavery indices due to the size and informal nature of the artisan economy. |
TICC sources exclusively from artisan vendors with whom we have direct, personal, and long-standing relationships. We visit artisan sites and maintain ongoing communication with vendors. |
| Sector Risk — Handcraft / Artisan |
Lower Artisan craft is community-based and individually skilled work, not anonymous labour. However, risk of informal or home-based child involvement in some craft families requires vigilance. |
TICC's child labour policy (Section 4.3) is communicated to all vendors. TICC requires adult artisan production and does not accept child labour in any form. |
| Migrant Labour |
Lower Most artisan communities are settled and work in their home regions and communities. |
Our direct vendor relationships provide visibility into the artisan workforce. |
| Recruitment Practices |
Lower Artisan vendors in TICC's network are self-employed or cooperative members — not recruited through third-party labour agencies. |
TICC does not engage vendors who use third-party recruitment agents. |
| Raw Material Supply |
Medium Natural material sourcing (certain fibres, dyes, minerals) may involve supply chains with less visibility. |
TICC queries vendors about their raw material sources and encourages ethical procurement. |
Overall Risk Assessment: TICC's supply chain carries lower modern slavery risk than typical mass manufacturing due to its artisan, community-based, and direct-relationship structure. The primary areas requiring continued vigilance are: (a) informal child involvement in craft activities in some artisan households; and (b) raw material supply chain traceability at Tier 2.
TICC has a zero-tolerance policy for all forms of forced labour, bonded labour, debt bondage, prison labour, compulsory labour, and human trafficking in our supply chain. No artisan vendor may require workers to surrender identity documents, pay recruitment fees, or work under threats, coercion, or deception.
TICC respects the right of artisans and workers to freely associate, organise, and participate in collective bargaining. We actively partner with artisan cooperatives — self-organised communities of craftspeople who collectively negotiate their terms and conditions.
TICC maintains an absolute, unconditional zero-tolerance policy on child labour. We do not knowingly engage any vendor who uses child labour — defined as any person under the minimum working age under Indian law (generally 14 years for non-hazardous work; 18 years for hazardous work under the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act 1986, as amended). TICC is aware that craft traditions are often taught within families from a young age. TICC's policy is that children may learn traditional crafts as cultural education, but no child may work for production or commercial purposes on any TICC order.
TICC pays all artisan vendors fairly for their work. Our pricing model is cost-plus — we pay vendors their quoted price, which reflects their material costs, time, and skill. TICC does not engage in exploitative price compression. We believe that paying a fair price to artisans is both an ethical obligation and a commercial necessity — underpaid artisans cannot sustain their craft, and the heritage TICC is built on would be lost.
TICC ensures that all vendor payments meet or exceed applicable minimum wage standards under Indian law. For cooperative members, payments flow directly to the cooperative, which distributes earnings to its members.
TICC expects all vendors to provide safe, healthy, and humane working conditions. This includes: safe tools and equipment; adequate ventilation and lighting; access to clean drinking water; appropriate rest periods; and a working environment free from physical or verbal abuse.
TICC does not place orders that require vendors to work unreasonable hours. Lead times are set to allow artisans to produce at a sustainable pace. We do not accept production completed through excessive overtime.
TICC does not discriminate in its vendor selection or treatment on the basis of caste, religion, gender, ethnicity, disability, or age. We actively seek out and support vendors from marginalised artisan communities, including Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities, women artisans, and indigenous craft practitioners.
Before engaging any new artisan vendor, TICC conducts an onboarding assessment that includes: (a) a site visit or video call to understand the production environment and workforce; (b) confirmation that all workers are adults; (c) review of the vendor's business registration, GST registration, and bank account details to confirm formal economic status; and (d) verbal and written commitment to TICC's ethical sourcing standards.
TICC maintains ongoing communication with all vendors. We conduct periodic check-in visits to artisan sites — either in person by TICC's team or remotely. Vendors are required to disclose any significant changes to their production arrangements, workforce, or working conditions.
All bulk orders are subject to mandatory Pre-Shipment Inspection (PSI) by SGS. While the primary purpose of the SGS inspection is product quality and quantity verification, TICC's inspection protocol includes a review of packing conditions and visible production environment standards. SGS inspectors may flag concerns observed during inspection for TICC's attention.
TICC's artisan vendors and their workers may report concerns — including concerns about labour conditions, forced work, or child labour — directly to TICC at hello@theinduscraftco.com or by calling +91 94320 58888. TICC commits to investigating all concerns promptly and confidentially. No vendor will be disadvantaged for raising a legitimate concern in good faith.
TICC's vendor agreements include ethical sourcing obligations. Vendors who are found to be in violation of TICC's ethical sourcing standards — including any use of forced or child labour — will have their engagement with TICC terminated immediately. TICC will not place new orders with a vendor while an ethical sourcing investigation is pending.
TICC ensures that all members of its own team who are involved in sourcing, vendor management, and supply chain decisions are aware of:
TICC shares this Statement with all current and prospective buyers as part of our standard trade onboarding documentation. We encourage buyers to raise any ethical sourcing concerns directly with us at any time.
"We do not simply buy and sell crafts. We are stewards of a living tradition — one that has sustained communities across India for centuries. Every purchase from TICC supports a family of artisans who have inherited skills from their grandparents and will pass them to their children. Ethical treatment of artisans is not a compliance obligation for us — it is the foundation on which everything we do is built."
— The Indus Craft Co.
India's handcraft sector employs an estimated 200 million people — the second largest source of rural employment after agriculture. Artisan communities in India are deeply vulnerable to economic marginalisation: synthetic and machine-made alternatives undercut handmade goods; global buyers pressure prices downward; and the informal nature of artisan production means most craftspeople lack access to social security, banking, and formal employment protections.
TICC exists to reverse this dynamic. By connecting India's artisans directly with international wholesale buyers who value authenticity and quality, we create sustainable, fairly-paid livelihoods — on the artisan's own terms, in their own communities, using their own ancestral skills.
| Commitment | Target / Status |
|---|---|
| 100% of active vendors onboarded with ethical sourcing confirmation | Ongoing — all current vendors confirmed |
| No confirmed instances of child labour in TICC's supply chain | Target: Zero | No incidents identified |
| No confirmed instances of forced or bonded labour | Target: Zero | No incidents identified |
| SGS Pre-Shipment Inspection on all bulk orders | Mandatory — applied to all bulk orders |
| Annual review and update of this Statement | Next review: June 2027 |
| Respond to all vendor grievances within 5 India business days | Ongoing commitment |
This Modern Slavery & Ethical Sourcing Statement has been approved by the Principal of The Indus Craft Co. and is published as the Company's statement for the financial year 2026–2027.
| Statement Author / Approver | Sagnik Banerjee, The Indus Craft Co. |
| Approval Date | 22 June 2026 |
| Next Scheduled Review | June 2027 |
| Published At | www.theinduscraftco.com | Available on request from hello@theinduscraftco.com |
| Signature | _______________________________ |
Buyers, partners, and any individual who has a concern about labour practices or ethical sourcing in TICC's supply chain are encouraged to contact us:
| Channel | Details |
|---|---|
| hello@theinduscraftco.com (subject: Ethical Sourcing Concern) | |
| Phone / WhatsApp | +91 94320 58888 | +91 87770 62003 |
| Address | 20 Suren Tagore Road, Kolkata – 700019, West Bengal, India |
| Website | www.theinduscraftco.com |
The Indus Craft Co. | GSTIN: 19AAXFT9159Q1ZK | IEC: AAXFT9159Q
Crafting Nature into Life.
20 Suren Tagore Road, Kolkata – 700019 • hello@theinduscraftco.com • www.theinduscraftco.com
Sustainable Indian crafts, handmade with natural materials for conscious wholesaler, retailers and global buyers.
Contact 24 x 7
+91 94320 58888
