Rising heat stress could significantly undermine productivity across India’s garment sector, placing an estimated 45 million workers at risk and potentially resulting in the loss of 35 million full-time jobs by 2030, according to a new report. The study warns that such disruptions could contribute to a 4.5% decline in India’s gross domestic product within the decade.
Titled ‘Breaking Point: Heat and the Garment Floor’, the report was released by HeatWatch in collaboration with the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai. It examines working conditions in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Delhi-NCR, highlighting how extreme heat is endangering the health, livelihoods and dignity of India’s garment workers, the majority of whom are women.
The findings are based on surveys of 115 garment workers in Tamil Nadu and Delhi-NCR, alongside 47 in-depth interviews and case studies conducted across 15 garment and textile units in Tamil Nadu, Delhi-NCR and Gujarat. The report documents how rising temperatures intersect with long working hours, inadequate factory infrastructure, alleged workplace abuses and gendered power imbalances on the production floor.
According to the study, 60% of surveyed units lacked on-site medical clinics, while 73% had heat-trapping roofs made of metal or asbestos. Workers reported that temperature monitoring devices were often installed only during brand audits or buyer visits.
The report found that heat stress disproportionately affects women workers, with concerns frequently dismissed in male-dominated management structures. A garment worker from Tirupur, identified as Jothi, stated that heat was often treated as a natural condition or framed as a women’s issue linked to attire rather than recognised as a workplace hazard. She added that requests for additional fans or more frequent toilet access were sometimes met with criticism.
Female workers interviewed for the study indicated that heat-related health problems were often considered inconsequential to business operations, despite having serious implications for their wellbeing. The report found that 93% of women surveyed experienced menstrual cycle disruptions, 97% reported burning sensations during urination, and 87% suffered heat-related symptoms such as headaches, dizziness and muscle cramps. Around 80% reported inadequate airflow at their workstations, while many said they were denied regular access to toilets.
Citing estimates from the International Labour Organization (ILO), the report noted that India could lose the equivalent of 35 million full-time jobs and face a 4.5% GDP contraction by 2030 due to heat stress. The textile and garment sector employs approximately 45 million people and recorded exports worth US $ 34.4 billion in the 2023–24 financial year.
Apekshita Varshney, founder of HeatWatch, stated that the findings demonstrated that heat stress was not merely an environmental issue but a labour rights emergency. She warned that as temperatures rise, women workers bear the brunt of production pressures, income losses and deteriorating health, and cautioned that without urgent reforms, India risks undermining the workforce that underpins its textile export economy.
