In Tirupur, India’s largest knitted apparel cluster, manufacturers are increasingly paying closer attention to their HR practices, especially when it comes to worker welfare.
One of them is Eastman Exports Global Clothing Private Limited (EEGCPL), a major player in the apparel supply chain with a workforce of nearly 20,000. The company has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Yugma Due Diligence, a strategic implementation partner of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI).
Yugma Due Diligence brings together ETI’s global expertise, its multistakeholder approach, and practitioner networks, along with strong onground experience in the South Asian garment and textile sector. ETI itself is a global alliance of companies, trade unions, and NGOs working to improve working conditions and the lives of workers across supply chains.
Through this collaboration, EEGCPL is looking to build on and strengthen its existing HR systems, with a focus on making labour practices more fair, transparent, and accountable.
The partnership is also shaped by a shared effort to align with emerging global Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) frameworks. It is intended to help the company stay prepared for evolving regulatory and reporting requirements, including the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), Germany’s Supply Chain Due Diligence Act (LkSG), the UK Modern Slavery Act, and India’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) framework.
As part of the MoU, both organisations will work together to review and strengthen HR policies and practices, with the aim of better supporting workers across operations while also improving due diligence processes within the supply chain.
The work will focus on areas such as improving grievance redressal systems so they are accessible, confidential, and timely; strengthening communication and engagement with workers; building HR team capacity through training and system improvements; and sharpening how risks are identified, addressed, and monitored in line with HRDD expectations. Existing policies will also be reviewed against international labour standards and relevant regulations.
“Partnering with Yugma Due Diligence marks an important step in our ongoing journey to build robust, worker-centric systems. As global expectations around human rights due diligence continue to evolve, we are committed to strengthening our internal systems to ensure transparency, accountability, and sustained compliance,” said Cibi Karthic Chandran, Director, EEGCPL.
Dr. R. Aruna, Director, Yugma Due Diligence, added, “This collaboration reflects a forward-looking approach by Eastman Exports Global Clothing to embed human rights due diligence into its core business practices. Our joint efforts will focus on creating practical, scalable systems that benefit workers while also aligning with emerging global regulatory frameworks.”
The initiative is part of Eastman Exports’ efforts to strengthen its approach to responsible sourcing and ethical manufacturing, alongside wider industry attention to labour conditions and workplace standards. It is also expected to support ongoing engagement with apparel brands, labour groups, government authorities, and supply chain partners on social compliance and due diligence.
Both organisations will periodically review progress under the MoU and share key learnings as part of the process.
