Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to India, Sardor Rustambaev, has held talks with the leadership of Indian apparel manufacturer Rupa & Company Ltd to explore the possibility of establishing a joint textile production venture in Uzbekistan, according to reports.
The discussions took place in West Bengal during a meeting between the ambassador and Ramesh Agarwal, director of the company. The talks focused on opportunities for collaboration in knitwear manufacturing and the potential for building joint production facilities in Uzbekistan.
Rupa is among India’s largest manufacturers of knitwear and innerwear and operates a widely recognised international brand. The company produces more than 8,000 apparel items for men, women and children and records an annual turnover of approximately US $150 million. Its products are exported to markets across Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe.
According to officials involved in the discussions, the meeting centred on prospects for deeper industrial cooperation between India and Uzbekistan’s textile sectors.
Ramesh Agarwal indicated that the company had strategic plans to expand into Central Asian and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) markets. He said the company viewed Uzbekistan as an attractive destination for investment due to the favourable business environment and incentives offered to foreign investors.
Agarwal noted that Rupa was prepared to move towards the practical implementation of a project in Uzbekistan and that the company was exploring the possibility of forming a joint venture with an existing textile factory in the country. The partnership could subsequently be used as a base to develop export markets across the wider region.
Officials said the negotiations reflected a broader effort to strengthen trade and economic cooperation between Uzbekistan and India.
Industry observers believe the potential partnership could help integrate Uzbekistan more closely into global textile and apparel value chains. Collaboration with Rupa could also allow Uzbek manufacturers to adopt advanced production technologies and quality standards used by Indian knitwear producers.
The proposed venture is expected to support the development of Uzbekistan’s textile sector by enhancing production capabilities, creating employment opportunities and expanding export reach through the Indian company’s international distribution networks.
Officials said the interest shown by a major Indian manufacturer such as Rupa also reflected the impact of recent reforms in Uzbekistan’s textile industry aimed at attracting foreign investment.
Following the discussions, both sides agreed to conduct a detailed assessment of production facilities in Uzbekistan as the next step towards implementing the proposed project.
