Huge opportunities are there to increase collaboration between Indian and Japanese firms in the textiles sector, and companies from Tokyo are keen to invest here, AEPC said on Wednesday.
Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) Chairman Sudhir Sekhri said that numbers of meetings were held between companies of the two countries in the apparel sector to explore business opportunities.
A number of domestic firms are participating in the India Tex Trend Fair (ITTF) in Tokyo.
“We have appealed to increase their (Japan) sourcing and invest more in India. We had successful meetings with major brands like Uniqlo, Adastria, Toray, Itokin company, Broque Japan, Daiso, along with YKK and Pegasus,” he said.
The Indian industry, he said, is committed to meet Japanese quality norms.
“We invite all our Japanese partners to engage with Indian exhibitors, explore collaborative possibilities, and experience firsthand the strength and reliability of India as a preferred sourcing destination,” Sekhri said.
The fair was inaugurated by Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh in Tokyo.
It is a flagship textiles event, organised in collaboration with the Embassy of India, the Ministry of Textiles, AEPC, and the Japan India Industry Promotion Association (JIIPA).
The government is taking a series of measures to boost domestic textiles manufacturing, such as seven PM MITRA Parks.
India has a golden opportunity to significantly expand its garment exports to Japan, the council said, adding duty-free trade, strong sustainability credentials, and a flexible manufacturing base are strong foundations.
” However, catching up in quality standards (especially in MMF), simplifying trade procedures, and adhering to Japanese compliance norms are critical to capturing a greater share of the US, USD 35 billion Japanese apparel market,” it said.
India’s garment exports to Japan stood at USD 234.5 million in 2024. Tokyo imported these goods worth about USD 23 billion last year. India’s share in this is just one per cent.