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A new report, Breaking Point: Heat and the Garment Floor, released by HeatWatch and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, reveals how extreme heat is endangering the lives, health, and livelihoods of India’s garment workers, most of whom are women...

“The findings show that heat stress is not just an environmental crisis—it is a labour rights emergency,” said Apekshita Varshney, Founder of HeatWatch. “As temperatures rise, women workers face the brunt of production pressures, lost incomes, and worsening health. Without immediate reforms, India risks eroding the very workforce that powers its textile exports.”...

“What was most concerning was the widespread acceptance of unbearable workplace temperatures. We see people working near machines operating at 90°C and women lying on the factory bathroom floors to get a few minutes of respite from the heat. Heat among indoor workers cannot be ignored any longer,” says Vasundhara Jhobta, Project Associate at HeatWatch.

Key Findings

• 36.5% workers said water on the floor often ran out or was unclean.
• 78.3% workers face difficulty in getting permission to access toilets.
• 80% reported no air movement at their workstations.
• 87% faced heat-related symptoms including headaches, dizziness, and muscle cramps.
• 96.8% of women workers reported burning sensations during urination.
• 92.6% experienced disruptions to their menstrual cycles.
• 78% skipped breaks to meet production targets, showing nearly double stress levels compared to others.
• 68.7% workers reported that heat affected their ability to work.

These health risks are compounded by poor factory infrastructure: 60% of surveyed units lacked medical clinics, and 73% had heat-trapping roofs made of metal or asbestos. Several workers admitted that temperature monitors were only installed during brand audits or buyer visits.

Economic and Business Risk

According to the ILO, India could lose the equivalent of 35 million full-time jobs and see a 4.5% GDP drop by 2030 due to heat stress...the report underscores that protecting workers from heat is essential both for labour rights and business resilience.

Recommendations for Action

The report calls for a structural response that bridges climate adaptation and labour law reforms, including:

• Legal recognition of heat stress as an occupational disease and inclusion under the Employees’ State Insurance Act (1948) and Employees’ Compensation Act (1923).
• Mandatory work–rest cycles, revised production targets during heatwaves, and Heat Hardship Allowances for workers exposed to unsafe temperatures.
• Stronger labour inspectorates and supplier accountability in brand–manufacturer contracts.
• Right to unionize and collective bargain, so that workers can safely raise concerns about heat, wages, and working conditions without fear of retaliation.
• Infrastructural changes such as improved ventilation, redesigned uniforms for thermal comfort, and on-site cooling facilities.