On 31 May 2022, the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with amfori, conducted a one-day workshop on Supply Chain Due Diligence in Mumbai.
The German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act - Lieferkettensorgfaltspflichtengesetz (LkSG) - is set to be enforced on 1 January 2023. With the date looming, the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce conducted the first batch of the Supply Chain Due Diligence Manager Training, designed to support companies operating in India with their regulatory compliance requirements.
The workshop included opening remarks from Stefan Halusa, Director General of Indo-German Chamber of Commerce, Natasha Majumdar, Network Representative, amfori, and Markus Löning - Managing Director, Löning Human Rights & Responsible.
Mr. Halusa gave the opening address at the start of the workshop. In his address, he welcomed participants and affirmed the importance of their participation in the workshop as an important milestone in strengthening supply chain due diligence implementation in India.
As part of the opening of the session, Ms. Majumdar reflected on the importance of supply chain due diligence as a crucial step for the protection of human rights to foster sustainable business growth in India and Germany.
Mr. Löning was on-site during the workshop to lead the first session of the workshop. In his opening remarks, he emphasises the importance of implementing supply chain due diligence beyond the purpose of regulatory compliance. The motivation to implement supply chain due diligence should be embedded in how each human deserves to have their rights and livelihood protected.
The workshop was divided into two sessions. The first session, led by Markus Löning, focused on conducting human rights risk assessment, formulating measures to address identified risks, and formulating human rights statement. The session included a lecture-based presentation, group discussions, and problem-solving exercises.
The second session was led by amfori and focused on effective tracking and monitoring of the supply chain, a remediation plan to address human rights risks and the creation of a complaint mechanism. This session was conducted using interactive exercises and group discussions to enhance the learning experience and engagement that simulate the decision-making practices during the supply chain due diligence process.
The workshop was also attended by two special guests, Tim Felder Rousetty – Counsellor of Social & Labour Affairs, and Nathalie Gminder, Industry Attaché from the German Embassy in New Delhi. Both guests provided the closing remarks to the workshop, where they highlighted how the workshop is a valuable initiative to strengthen Indo-German sustainable trade relations.
The workshop was conducted within the “Growing with Responsibility” Initiative implemented by IGCC SustainMarkets in cooperation with the Business Scouts for Development programme commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
The workshop was attended by more than 30 people consisting of 22 company representatives.
