New Delhi: Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh began his official tour of Japan in July by engaging with Japanese textile industry leaders. He chaired a roundtable with CEOs of major Japanese textile and apparel companies, encouraging them to invest in technical textiles, fibre production, and machinery for both domestic and global markets.

The minister also paid floral tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, highlighting “the enduring relevance of Gandhiji’s ideals of truth, non-violence, and compassion,” the ministry said. At the Indian Embassy in Tokyo, Giriraj Singh received a detailed briefing on India-Japan textile cooperation from Ambassador Sibi George.

Later, he held a strategic meeting with Tadashi Yanai, Chairman and CEO of Fast Retailing Co Ltd., one of the world’s largest apparel retailers, discussing expanded sourcing, manufacturing, and retail opportunities in India.

He also met with the leadership of Stylem Co Ltd, a key textile trading and OEM firm, inviting them to enhance their engagement in India via the PM MITRA Parks and other government schemes.

In a major development, Daiso Industries announced plans to open 200 stores in India and manufacture cotton products locally. The minister encouraged Daiso to benefit from India’s growing textile infrastructure and investment incentives.

Giriraj Singh reiterated the investment pitch during a second roundtable with leading CEOs, again highlighting opportunities in high-value sectors like technical textiles and advanced fibre technology.

“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 proposed a unified platform to address key challenges in the sector and to work toward achieving $100 billion in textile exports by 2030–31.

At the first Task Force on Textiles Exports meeting, Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal stressed the need for focused strategies to raise India’s share in global textile markets.