Recruitment began on a voluntary basis in 1915, but by 1917 the British Government was requiring that localities provide quotas of men.

The corps undertook construction duties around the world during the war with the workers frequently enduring difficult conditions.

Prior to World War I, the British Indian Army regularly used 'Coolie Corps' to support its operations within the Raj and overseas.

[1] Tasks undertaken by the workers in France included digging trenches and building roads, at times within artillery range of German forces.

[1] For instance, in 1916 the British authorities demanded that each village in the Naga Hills provide a set number of men for the ILC.