Japan Shows Interest in India’s Textile Sector Growth

Japanese companies are showing strong interest in investing in India’s growing textile sector, said Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh.

In 2024, India exported garments worth $234.5 million to Japan. Japan’s total garment imports last year were about $23 billion.

Speaking at the opening of the 16th India Tex Trend Fair (ITTF) in Tokyo, Singh said India and Japan have had strong textile trade relations for a long time.

He explained that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, there is a full support policy for the textile sector. This includes the PM MITRA Parks, which are large textile parks covering 1,000 to 2,000 acres each. These parks are expected to bring investments of around ₹1 lakh crore (approx. $12 billion) and create about 1.2 million jobs. Japanese investors will also get benefits like labour and electricity subsidies from state governments.

During his visit, Singh met leaders of Asahi KASEI, a $20 billion Japanese company interested in ‘Make in India for the world’.

The India Trend Fair is organised by the Ministry of Textiles, Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC), the Embassy of India, and the Japan India Industry Promotion Association (JIIPA). Over 150 exhibitors are participating this year.

Singh said that Japan recently imported 5,000 cars from India, which shows that Indian products match Japanese quality standards. He added that India has sustainable fibres and a strong workforce to boost exports.

India’s Ambassador to Japan, Sibi George, said India is growing at 6 per cent annually and has strong domestic demand. He noted that economic ties between India and Japan are growing despite global supply chain issues.

Rohit Kansal, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Textiles, said India’s textile sector offers great opportunities because of its complete value chain, large local market, strong exports, and ability to produce sustainably at scale.

Sudhir Sekhri, Chairman of AEPC, said that the India Tex Trend Fair is an important platform to show India’s textile and garment strengths. This year’s fair features a wide range of collections, including sustainable apparel, high fashion, and artisan products that suit Japanese consumer tastes.