Vidhya Raveendranathan is a doctoral fellow at the Centre for Global Asia. Her dissertation, titled “Fabricating Labor in the Port City of Madras c. 1780-1840,” examines how, in contrast to historically contained spatial units such as the factory, ship or plantation, the port city emerged as the key site for the growth of modern labor relations. Taking into account the interaction of heterogeneous groups of labor navigating the quays, beaches, markets, streets, and households, the thesis shows how port cities became the epicentre for various colonial projects to legally constitute, classify, and calibrate a whole range of labor relations. Prior to joining the Center for Global Asia, her research was funded by the German Research Council, fellowships from the German Historical Institute, and European Research Council stipendiums in Göttingen and Berlin. She completed her Master’s and MPhil degrees in the History Department at Delhi University. Vidhya has also published articles in journals such as History Compass, Transfers, and the Journal of Mobility Studies, and has co-authored pieces for the news online portal called the Wire. She has also contributed a book chapter to an edited volume by Sabyasachi Bhattacharya and Rana Behal entitled The Vernacularisation of Labour Politics (Tulika Books, Delhi, 2016). She is also currently editing a forthcoming special issue on port cities in the Indian Ocean for the Journal of Indian Ocean World Studies.