December 18, 2024
Industry

Hon’ble Minister Meets Uniqlo To Boost India’s Textile Sector

The Hon’ble Minister of Textiles held a pivotal meeting with senior officials from Uniqlo, facilitated through Invest India, reaffirming the shared commitment to strengthening India’s textile sector. This engagement follows Uniqlo’s earlier interaction with the Hon’ble Prime Minister, reflecting their keen interest in collaborating with India’s textile industry to enhance cotton production capabilities, productivity, and quality. The meeting underscores the synergy between Uniqlo’s vision and India’s goal of fostering a globally competitive and sustainable textile sector.

With 15 stores across the country and a retail revenue of Rs 814 crore as of March 31, 2024, Uniqlo has demonstrated robust growth, achieving a 30% increase in revenue. The company’s operations, which include collaboration with 18 swing factories and 6 fabric mills sourced from 9 vendors, underline their commitment to quality and innovation in textiles.

Uniqlo has expressed a strong interest in advancing cotton production capabilities, productivity, and quality within India. As the world’s largest cotton producer, cultivating over 11.9 million hectares, India provides an ideal environment for such initiatives. India already utilizes high-density quality seeds in Akola, where productivity levels are up to 1,500 kg/hectare. The company’s pilot project is working on similar lines, with productivity and quality levels reaching up to 1,000 kg/hectare. The Ministry is committed to supporting Uniqlo’s request for land to scale this initiative, reflecting a shared vision of making India a global hub for high-quality cotton sourcing.

Aligned with India’s textile growth targets—aiming for a market size of US$ 350 billion and US$ 100 billion in exports by 2030—the Ministry has extended an invitation to Uniqlo to invest in the Prime Minister’s Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks. These parks offer a ready-to-perform ecosystem with a Build-to-Suit model, ensuring seamless integration for companies seeking sustainable and efficient operations.

Uniqlo’s participation in the upcoming “Bharat Tex” Global Textile Expo in February will further highlight the shared commitment to fostering innovation, sustainability, and traceability in the textile sector. With global attention increasingly focused on sustainable and traceable practices, the Ministry has encouraged Uniqlo to extend its research and development efforts into new natural fibers, including milkweed fiber, aligning with India’s own initiatives in this critical area.

The Ministry remains confident that this partnership will bolster India’s end-to-end textile value chain, strengthen the women-led economy, and elevate India’s position as a global textile leader.

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