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, highlighting
their keen interest in collaborating with India’s textile industry
to enhance cotton production capabilities, productivity,
and quality. This 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 ?814
crore as of March 31, 2024, Uniqlo has demonstrated a robust
growth rate of 30%, contributing substantially to the retail
and textile ecosystem in India. Their operations, including
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 keen 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 landscape for such
initiatives. India already utilizing high-density quality seeds
in Akola where productivity levels are up to 1,500 kg/hectare.
The company’s pilot project is also working on similar lines
where the productivity and quality levels are yielding 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.
In alignment with India’s textile growth targets, reaching a
market size of $350 billion and $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-toperform
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 underscore the shared
commitment to fostering innovation, sustainability, and
traceability in the textile sector. With global attention 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.