VW Suspends Ties With Indian Mica Suppliers

India is among the largest producers of mica, a silver-coloured, crystalline mineral, in the world. Labour rights campaigners surmise that nearly 70 per cent of the country's mica is produced in illegal mines falling into disrepair.

Leslie Bothge, a VW spokeswoman, explained the investigation, along with a study of the industry by human rights group Terre des Hommes, prompted the German automaker to open investigations into its suppliers in India. She went on to add that Volkswagen and its tier one, or direct, paint suppliers in India have introduced additional due diligence measures to ensure the mica they purchase is sourced from legal mines where child labour is not used.

In an e-mail in response to questions posed by Reuters, Bothge said, "Additional efforts were also undertaken at the second tier level. This has led to the temporary suspension of purchases on some supply chains until the due diligence is completed and respective measures have been put in place."

The automaker's paint suppliers are are also pursuing the idea of an "industry and multi-stakeholder platform" to not only deal with the current issue at hand but also to seek solutions to prevent child labour in the mica supply chain.