Japanese Firms Keen to Invest in India's Textile Sector: Major Boost for 'Make in India' Drive

Tokyo/New Delhi, July 2025: In a significant development for India's textile industry, several leading Japanese firms have expressed strong interest in investing in the Indian textile sector. The momentum was visibly evident at the recently concluded India Trend Fair 2025 in Tokyo, organized by the Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) with the support of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.

Leading Japanese brands—including Uniqlo (Fast Retailing), YKK, Toray, Daiso, Itokin, Konica Minolta, Asahi Kasei, and others—engaged in high-level B2B meetings and roundtable discussions with Indian exporters and government representatives. These interactions focused on sourcing opportunities, joint ventures, and potential investments under India’s flagship initiatives such as PM-MITRA textile parks and the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event, AEPC Chairman Sudhir Sekhri said, “Japanese firms are not just looking to increase sourcing from India, they are keen to invest here in a long-term, sustainable manner. This is a significant opportunity for India to position itself as a reliable textile manufacturing hub.”

Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh, who inaugurated the fair, held extensive discussions with Japanese business leaders and extended invitations to invest in India’s fast-evolving textile ecosystem. Minister Singh emphasized the Indian government’s support for foreign investors, citing attractive policy incentives, streamlined processes, and the vast potential of India’s skilled workforce.

One of the key highlights was a focused interaction with Uniqlo (Fast Retailing), a global retail giant, which has been exploring the possibility of establishing end-to-end textile operations in India. The Indian government has actively courted Uniqlo, inviting the company to become part of the integrated textile value chain in India.

Japanese interest is not limited to apparel. Companies have also shown inclination toward investing in technical textiles, textile machinery manufacturing, and sustainable innovation—sectors that align well with India’s strategic roadmap for industrial transformation and green growth.

Experts say this growing Indo-Japanese textile collaboration could catalyze a new wave of bilateral economic engagement, fostering innovation, employment, and technology transfer in India's textile space.

With India positioning itself as a global textile powerhouse, Japanese investments could provide the much-needed acceleration to realize the nation’s ambition of becoming a preferred destination for high-quality, sustainable textile production.