Japanese companies eager to invest in India's textile industry: Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC)

There are considerable prospects for enhancing collaboration between Indian and Japanese companies in the textiles industry, as firms based in Tokyo have shown strong interest in investing in India, the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) noted on Wednesday. Mr. Sudhir Sekhri, the Chairman of the Apparel Export Promotion Council, emphasized that many meetings have taken place between Indian and Japanese apparel firms to investigate possible business collaborations. Numerous Indian exporters are taking part in the India Tex Trend Fair (ITTF) in Tokyo, a premier textiles event launched by Union Minister of Textiles Mr. Giriraj Singh. The fair is coordinated collaboratively by the Indian Embassy, the Ministry of Textiles, AEPC, and the Japan India Industry Promotion Association (JIIPA). He encouraged Japanese companies to boost sourcing and investments in India, highlighting productive talks with prominent names like Uniqlo, Adastria, Toray, Itokin, Broque Japan, Daiso, YKK, and Pegasus. He highlighted the Indian textile sector’s dedication to adhering to strict Japanese quality standards and urged Japanese partners to collaborate closely with Indian exhibitors. India’s clothing exports to Japan were valued at Rs. 2,015 crore (US$ 234.5 million) in 2024, a small portion of Japan’s Rs. 1,97,639 crore (US$ 23 billion) clothing imports. The AEPC highlighted that India has a prime chance to greatly expand its footprint in the Japanese market, bolstered by duty-free trade pacts, solid sustainability credentials, and a adaptable manufacturing foundation strengthened by programs like the PM MITRA Parks. Nonetheless, challenges persist in enhancing quality benchmarks, particularly in man-made fibres (MMF), streamlining trade processes, and rigorously following Japanese compliance standards to gain a larger portion of the Rs. The Japanese apparel market is worth 3,00,755 crore (US$ 35 billion).