Indian textile export may get Japanese touch

OSAKA: India is all set to double its share in the world market for textiles and clothing in the next five years, minister of state for industry Ashwani Kumar has said. Japan could play an important role in helping India reach the target by collaborating in the area of textile design, manufacture and marketing, the minister said at the opening of the India-Japan friendship year fashion show in Osaka.

Japanese designer Hiroko Koshnoi and her Indian counterpart Manish Arora presented textile collection from India to Japanese businessmen to showcase the potential Indo-Japanese collaboration holds in the world of textiles and garments.

Mr Kumar pointed out that with growing demand for Indian textiles, the country was seriously targeting doubling its market share from the current 3.5% to 7% in 2012. Exports are expected to touch $110 billion from the existing $51 billion in five years time, he said. “Textile is the next big wave in India. We hope to get Japan’s support in achieving our goals. It can only be a win-win situation,” he said.

Ms Koshnoi is already supplying her designs to India where they are mass produced and exported to other countries. “I would now like to exclusively produce garments for the Indian market with Indian fabric.

If I get a partner in India, the India-range can be both sold in the country and exported,” Ms Koshnoi said in an exclusive interview with ET. Ms Koshnoi has been in the fashion industry for 50 years and exports her labelled garments worldover. “We Asians have to come together to take the lead in the global textile market. The future belongs to Asia,” she said.