But according to Anti-Slavery International and the Dutch campaign group SOMO, who between them have interviewed more than 200 current or former Indian textile workers, widespread exploitation is common across India's textile industry.

BBC: The price of cheap clothes?

Anti-Slavery International's Beth Herzfeld told the BBC earlier this year that chattel slavery, involving a class of hereditary slaves, still existed in parts of Africa, and bonded labour remained common in South Asia.

BBC: Undated depiction of slaves in captivity

The Anti-Slavery International group - which is working with Unesco to raise awareness in schools globally of the transatlantic slave trade - has described human trafficking as the fastest growing from of modern-day slavery.

BBC: Undated depiction of slaves in captivity

The informal coalition, which lobbied against the public offering, included groups such as Friends of the Earth, Freedom House's Center for Religious Freedom, the American Anti-Slavery Group, the AFL-CIO, and the International Campaign for Tibet.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Center For Security Policy