Employers and Workers Present Bipartite Roadmap to Advance Responsible Business Conduct in India

New Delhi, 20 February, 2026: Employers’ and workers’ organisations in India presented a Bipartite Roadmap to advance Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) for decent work, marking a significant step towards operationalising RBC principles across enterprises. The roadmap was presented in the presence of International Labour Organization (ILO) Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo.

Developed through a structured year-long engagement process between employers’ and workers’ organisations, the Bipartite Roadmap outlines shared priorities and joint actions to promote responsible business practices across enterprises, including MSMEs. The framework focuses on fair employment practices, occupational safety and health, non-discrimination, social protection, green and digital transitions, and strengthened social dialogue mechanisms.

Representatives of employers and workers jointly presented the roadmap at an event held at Le Méridien, New Delhi, underscoring the importance of collaboration in strengthening industrial relations and aligning national efforts with international labour standards.

ILO Director-General Gilbert F. Houngbo said, “The steps taken here in India contribute to the global movement by demonstrating how dialogue between employers and workers can identify shared priorities and translate them into practical cooperation”.

He added: “Responsible Business Conduct for decent work contributes to respecting and enabling the core labour rights at work; strengthening industrial relations and meaningful social dialogue; and supporting sustainable development and inclusive growth. This aligns closely with the vision of the Global Coalition for Social Justice.”

The roadmap highlights how employers’ and workers’ organisations will collaborate through capacity-building initiatives, dialogue platforms, and policy advocacy to operationalise RBC principles and enhance workplace cooperation across supply chains.

Michiko Miyamoto, Director of the Decent Work Team for South Asia and Country Office for India, ILO, said, “This roadmap marks the beginning of a journey built on joint prioritization and collaboration between employers’ and workers’ organizations and reflects the trust that they have built through sustained dialogue. It provides a practical framework for joint action. Through this bipartite cooperation on Responsible Business Conduct for decent work, India has showcased how dialogue can enable collaborative solutions to complex challenges and encourage businesses to engage in responsible business practices.”

The roadmap was developed under the ILO programme “Building Responsible Value Chains in Asia through the Promotion of Decent Work in Business Operations”, supported by the Government of Japan. Consultations with trade unions and employer organisations in 2025 culminated in the development of the joint action framework, which was formally launched on 29 January 2026.

Six employers’ organisations and six workers’ organisations have committed to implementing actions under the roadmap, with additional stakeholders expected to join the initiative in the coming months.