New Delhi, Oct 3 (IANS): Japanese lifewear retail brand Uniqlo on Thursday made its debut in the Indian market with its first store at Ambience Mall, Vasant Kunj here.

The store sprawling over 35,000 square feet over three floors will open for the public on October 4. The brand will also be launching two more stores in DLF Avenue, Saket and DLF CyberHub in the coming days.

Speaking to reporters at the press conference here, Tadashi Yanai, founder and Chairman of Uniqlo and President and Chief Executive Officer of Fast Retailing Group, said: "Launching ourselves in Indian market is a step ahead towards globalisation. We aim to enhance lifestyles in India by creating more innovative apparel that draws on the nation's distinct culture and traditions. We wish to contribute to India's economic development in the process."

He added: "21st century will be the century of India. Fast Retailing has long wished to open stores in India, in view of the tremendous potential of a nation of 1.3 billion people that generates annual GDP growth of 7 per cent and has an average age of 27."

Uniqlo started recruiting in India at the end of last year, he said, and was amazed to see the "exceptional talent, ambition, and diligence of the young people" he had met.

On being asked about his expectation about the business in India, he replied: "My curiosity about India goes beyond just business. India is a diverse market with many languages, ethnicities and history. Our focus will be to educate ourselves about the Indian consumers."

Uniqlo, established in Japan in 1984 and is present in 23 other countries with 2,200 stores, aims to work with Indian producers and strengthen its sourcing base in India.

The first ever lifewear collection by Uniqlo comprises autumn and winter wear for males, females and kids. The line-up has global silhouettes and are created using different techniques such as Heattech, AIRism, Ultra Light Down, Ultra Stretch Jeans and more.

The brand also collaborated with designer Rina Singh for its special 'Kurta Collection', which consists of tunics, dresses, pants and stoles in colours like earthy combination of charcoal, indigo, mustard and red.

The store also has a UT (Uniqlo T-shirt) corner that comprises personalised T-shirts with various prints, a range of Uniqlo stamps and other pop cultures.