Sign of the times

Tirupur's exporters, buffeted by strictures against environmental damage and child labour laws in the international media, appear to be ultra-keen to establish their ethical credentials. As a result, factories in the area can now be spotted with large signs on their gates declaring "No child labour" - sometimes these signs are larger than those bearing the name of the company to which the factory belongs. The message is clear: with the exports business already in the dumps, ethical controversies are out of the question.