New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh commenced his official visit to Japan and held key meetings with local industry leaders, an official statement said on Tuesday.

He chaired an interactive roundtable with CEOs of major textile and apparel industries of Japan, and urged them to consider investing in India in the technical textiles, fibre production and machinery sectors, both for domestic as well as global markets.

The minister also paid floral tribute at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, “highlighting the enduring relevance of Gandhiji’s ideals of truth, non-violence, and compassion,” said Textiles Ministry in a statement.

Giriraj Singh visited the Embassy of India in Tokyo and chaired a briefing by Ambassador Sibi George on India-Japan relations and opportunities in the textile sector.

Later, a strategic meeting was held with Tadashi Yanai, Chairman, President and CEO of Fast Retailing Co Ltd., one of the world’s leading apparel retail companies.

The discussion focused on expanding Fast Retailing’s sourcing, manufacturing, and retail operations in India, according to the ministry.

The minister also met the leadership team of Stylem Co Ltd, a leading textile trading and OEM Company, and invited them to scale up their engagement with India through PM MITRA Parks and other government initiatives.

In a key engagement, Giriraj Singh met with the Directors of Daiso Industries, who announced plans to open 200 stores and manufacture cotton products in the country. The minister encouraged them to leverage India’s textile infrastructure and incentives.

Giriraj Singh also chaired an interactive roundtable with CEOs of major Japanese textile and apparel companies, encouraging investments in technical textiles, fibre production, and textile machinery.

“Today participated in the inauguration of 16th India Trend Fair, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. The fair gives one of the biggest platforms to Indian exhibitors to showcase their products directly to Japanese buyers. This fair will strengthen the India-Japan textiles trade,” the minister posted on X.

Last month, the government said it plans to set up a unified platform for addressing critical issues concerning the textile sector by involving all relevant stakeholders to work collaboratively towards creating a road map for achieving the $100 billion target for textile exports by 2030–31.

Addressing the first meeting of the Task Force on Textiles Exports, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal highlighted the need to formulate strategies for enhancing India’s share in global markets.

–IANS

na/