A man trafficked from India under a sham 457 visa arrangement was held in conditions "akin to slavery" for 16 months, a Sydney court has heard.

Dulo Ram lived, ate and slept in the kitchen of Mand's Indian Restaurant in Eastwood, NSW, working 12 hours a day, seven days a week, enslaved by the restaurant's owner Divye Trivedi.

Mr Ram was consistently abused, both physically and mentally, his young family the target of Trivedi's regular threats.

Trivedi was the first person in NSW history to be tried and convicted of exploiting someone for forced labour.

David Hillard, Pro Bono Partner at Clayton Utz and the lawyer who took on the civil case for Mr Ram's unpaid wages, said the victim was controlled through intimidation and threats, forced to work and treated as property.