During hearings by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) regarding forced labour, India characterized its regulatory approach as 'soft' and 'slow', emphasizing that the Securities and Exchange Board of India's Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) framework is a form of 'soft law'. India highlighted that the National Guidelines on Responsible Business Conduct (NGRBC) also establish a voluntary framework for businesses. In response to the USTR's investigation initiated on March 12, India argued that it contests the legal basis of the inquiry, asserting that the lack of restrictions on imports made from forced labour does not provide an advantage to Indian exporters. Furthermore, India pointed out its active participation in multilateral frameworks addressing forced labour and emphasized government support for export promotion councils aimed at identifying forced labour incidents in supply chains. The Indian representative concluded that unilateral actions by the USTR are unnecessary given the existing comprehensive frameworks.