What works with suppliers in India, from my on-ground experience

Most companies I work with feel a sense of control when audit reports come back green.

But in India, that control is often an illusion.

Suppliers have become very good at managing audits. They know what to show, when to show it, and how to pass. And yet, the same issues keep returning. Worker concerns stay hidden. Real engagement is missing.

The reality is simple: audits do not drive change on the ground.

They create snapshots, not behaviour change. In a market like India—where supply chains are complex, relationships matter, and informal systems are deeply embedded—audits alone will not surface the truth, let alone solve it.

What’s missing is not intent. It’s implementation in the right context.

Global expectations around ESG and Human Rights Due Diligence (HRDD) are clear. But on the ground, suppliers are navigating thin margins, layered subcontracting, cultural hesitation, and operational pressures that rarely show up in audit reports. This is where the disconnect begins.

The companies we work with are now piloting a different approach—with encouraging results.

They are shifting away from audit-heavy models and focusing on supplier engagement. Not as a soft alternative, but as a more effective way to drive real improvement.

What does this look like in practice?

1. It starts with open conversations before any formal assessment. When suppliers are heard first, they open up. It continues with building relationships over time—through factory visits, farm visits, and consistent presence. Trust builds, and with it, visibility.
2. It also means removing the fear of punishment when gaps are identified. When suppliers know they won’t be penalised immediately, they stop hiding issues and start discussing them.
3. Suppliers are brought into the process itself—trained on why HRDD matters globally, and engaged in how to apply it locally. Ownership begins to shift.

And importantly, solutions are kept practical. Ground realities are acknowledged. Costs are discussed upfront. What gets designed is what can actually be implemented.

This shift is already showing results.

More honest conversations. Better visibility of risks. And early signs of real improvement—not just compliance.

The question is no longer: “How do we audit better?”

It is: “How do we engage suppliers in a way that actually works in India?”

This is where most teams struggle—not because they don’t care, but because translating global expectations into local reality is hard.

That’s the gap I work in. On the ground, with suppliers—helping move from compliance to real change through practical engagement.

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