Captive Labour in a Growing Industry: Migrant Workers on Surat's Shrimp Farms

India has emerged as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of farmed shrimp, supplying primarily to markets in the United States, Europe, and East Asia. While recent investigations and advocacy have focused on labour conditions in shrimp processing plants, the conditions of workers at the farm level, which is one of the initial tiers of the supply chain, remain largely invisible. This study seeks to fulfil this critical gap. Shrimp aquaculture in Gujarat, particularly in Surat district, has expanded rapidly over the last two decades, integrating coastal farms into global supply chains while relying heavily on seasonal migrant labour.