Uniqlo’s entry into India may be delayed by up to two years. The brand was planning to open stores in India in 2018.

Uniqlo, based in Japan, produces a billion units a year. It’s planning to boost production to five billion units. Uniqlo is the third largest company globally on a sectoral basis.

The group is targeting sales worth 50 billion dollars in 2020 and hopes to open a 1000 stores a year. It currently reaches customers through 1427 stores in 16 countries. Its business volume in 2013 was 14 billion dollars while it grows at a rate of 20 per cent on an annual average.

The group has seven brands. The major one is Uniqlo, which accounts for a 30 per cent share in the group. Fast Retailing is the parent company of Uniqlo, Theory, and J Brand.

Uniqlo started as a chain of suburban roadside stores in Japan. In Japan alone the company operates over 840 stores. It has over 400 stores in Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan). The company has a relatively small European presence: one in Germany, 10 stores in the UK, 8 stores in France and five stores in Russia.

Uniqlo will make Turkey its production hub for the company’s exports to Europe.