India is looking to strengthen its military cooperation with Japan and is interested in sourcing defence technologies for domestic manufacture of arms and equipment, defence minister Arun Jaitley said.
Jaitley, who on Monday (8) met his Japanese counterpart Tomomi Inada, said India and Japan "a very strong relationship between (their) defence forces" and the two nations will pursue strategic partnership for regional peace and stability.
"There have been training and naval exercises. There is a lot of cooperation that takes place (between the two nations)," he said.
He said India is looking at Japanese technology for local manufacturing of defence equipment.
"Japan has a lot of defence technologies and India of course, has a great use of these technologies because we are attempting to have local manufacturing in India," he said.
India and Japan, he said, are looking at business-to- business cooperation.
This cooperation would be "both for the purposes of India buying (from Japan) and any possibility of India domestically manufacturing with their technologies."
Jaitley, who is also the finance minister, on Monday wrapped up a three-day visit to Japan where he attended an annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank and investor meets.
According to a report on his meeting with Japanese defence minister, he welcomed a planned trilateral naval exercise among the US, India and Japan in July as a way of strengthening cooperation in the Asia-Pacific.
"This is all reflective of the level of cooperation our armed forces have with each other," he said.
His visit to Japan, a staunch US ally, comes amid rising tension in the region
Prime minister Shinzo Abe has sought to expand Japan's defence role and capability amid security concerns over China and North Korea.
Shein’s UK sales hit £2.05bn in 2024, up 32.3 per cent year-on-year, driven by younger shoppers.
The retailer benefits from import tax loopholes unavailable to high street rivals.
Faces mounting criticism over labour practices and sustainability as it eyes a London listing.
Tax edge drives growth
Chinese fashion giant Shein is transforming Britain’s online clothing market, capturing a third of women aged 16 to 24 while benefiting from tax breaks unavailable to high street rivals.
The fast-fashion retailer’s UK sales surged 32.3 per cent to £2.05bn in 2024, according to company filings, with pre-tax profits rising to £38.3m from £24.4m the previous year. The growth comes as established players like Asos struggle in an increasingly competitive landscape where young consumers prioritise value above all else.
Shein has partly benefited from a tax break on import duty for goods worth less than £135 sent directly to consumers, The rule lets overseas sellers send low-value goods to the UK tax-free, disadvantaging local businesses.
“The growth of Shein and Temu is a huge factor,” said Tamara Sender Ceron, associate director of fashion retail research at Mintel told The Guardian. “It is particularly successful among younger shoppers. It is also a threat to other fashion retailers such as Primark and H&M because of its ultra-low price model that nobody can compete with. It’s changed the market.
"The market dynamics reflect broader shifts in consumer behaviour. Online fashion sales reached £34bn last year, up 3 per cent, according to Mintel, but shoppers have become more cautious as disposable incomes shrink, and fashion competes with holidays, festivals, and streaming services for wallet share.
Scrutiny builds
Despite its commercial success, Shein faces mounting scrutiny. The company filed initial paperwork last June for a potential London Stock Exchange listing, but critics question its labour practices and environmental impact.
"Regardless of whether Shein gets listed on the London Stock Exchange, no company doing business in the UK should be allowed to play fast and loose with human rights anywhere in their global supply chains,” said Peter Frankental, economic affairs programme director at Amnesty International UK to BBC.
The “de minimis” rule has drawn renewed attention after US President Donald Trump scrapped a similar measure during his trade war with China.
Shein’s UK operation now employs 91 people across offices in Kings Cross and Manchester, focusing primarily on local market expertise.
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