The implementation of factory legislation in India in the nineteenth century was a result of the pressure on the Government of India from

The implementation of factory legislation in nineteenth-century India, specifically the Factory Act of 1881, was primarily driven by the lobbying efforts of British textile manufacturers from Lancashire and Manchester [1]. These British capitalists were concerned about the emergence of Indian textile mills as competitive rivals [1]. They argued that Indian manufacturers enjoyed an unfair advantage due to the availability of cheap, unregulated labour and miserable working conditions [1]. Consequently, they pressured the Government of India to pass factory laws to increase the cost of production for Indian mills and level the playing field. While philanthropic individuals and social activists like Sorabjee Shapoorji Bengalee and N.M. Lokhanday also advocated for workers' rights, the decisive pressure that moved the pro-capitalist colonial government came from the British industrial lobby [2]. The Indian National Congress and early nationalists generally opposed these acts, fearing they would hinder indigenous industrial growth [2].

Sources

1. [1] Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 27: Survey of British Policies in India > Labour Legislations > p. 534
2. [2] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 9: Administrative Changes After 1858 > Hostility to Educated Indians > p. 162