Bricks are a very important raw material in the construction industry. Due to the rapid urbanisation, the requirement for bricks is high. India is the second-largest producer of bricks (after China), yet most of the tasks are still performed manually.

There is a huge discrepancy in the wages and the working hours for the brick kiln workers. Also, the working conditions are wretched. Low wages and hazardous working conditions lead to the deterioration of the health of the workers and lower productivity.

Usually, an entire family is involved in brick production, and they get Rs 400–500 for 1000 bricks. Although the industry provides employment to a large number of people, it violates their rights as the labourers are underpaid and exploited. "The labourers become bound after they take an advance. They are physically tortured by the contractor if they wish to leave their job. Even their payments are stopped, making it hard for an entire family to survive," Sudhir Kumar Katiyar, project coordinator of the Udaipur-based non-profit Prayas Centre for Labour Research and Action, said at the dialogue.