Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is on a two-day official visit to India, will attend the fourth annual India-Japan Summit along with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gandhinagar. In a series of tweets, PM Modi stated that he will participate in a wide range of programmes, scheduled on September 13 and 14, with Abe that will aim to further boost the bilateral relations.
The Indian Prime Minister is expected to host a special dinner for Abe and his wife in Ahmedabad. The two world leaders will also attend an event to lay the foundation stone of India’s first high-speed rail project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. Interestingly, Japan has been a major contributor to some of India’s mega projects.
On that note, take a look at 7 major development programmes in India that involved Japan’s contribution.
1. Bullet Trains
bullet trains
India and Japan had signed a memorandum of cooperation for the project in late 2015. Former Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had earlier stated that 85 per cent of funding for the project would come from Japan. The much-awaited bullet train is expected to reduce the travel time between Mumbai and Ahmedabad from eight hours to a little over three hours. The estimated cost of this project is reportedly Rs 1 lakh crore.
2. Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor
Delhi Mumbai Industrial corridor
Touted to be India’s most ambitious infrastructure programme, the corridor aims to develop new industrial cities as “smart cities”. “The objective is to expand India’s Manufacturing & Services base and develop DMIC as a “Global Manufacturing and Trading Hub,” an excerpt on the SMICDC website reads. The programme is conceptualised and planned in collaboration with the Japenese government. The estimated investment in the project is expected to be USD $ 100 Billion.
3. Delhi Metro
Delhi metro
60 per cent funding of Phase 1 of the Delhi Metro was provided by the Government of Japan. The financing was done through a soft loan from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), which is now called the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
4. Smart cities
Smart cities
Earlier this year, it was reported that Japan was ready and willing to assist India in developing Chennai, Ahmedabad and Varanasi as smart cities. “We would like to match the action oriented approach of the Government under Prime Minister Shri Modi,” Japan’s envoy was quoted as saying.
5. Foreign direct investment
FDI
Japan is currently India’s fourth largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI). Japan is also reportedly planning to double the FDI as well as the number of Japanese companies in India by 2019. FDI inflows from Japan during 2015-2016 were at Rs 17,275 crore.
6. 2016 Nuclear agreement
Nuclear agreement
Japan has signed a historic civil nuclear cooperation deal with India with an aim to boost the bilateral ties. “This agreement is a legal framework that India will act responsibly in peaceful uses of nuclear energy and also in Non-Proliferation regime even though India is not a participant or signatory of NPT,” Prime Minister Modi was quoted as saying.
7. Indian National Army
INA
Japan played a major role in the formation of the Indian National Army (INA) that was led by Subhash Chandra Bose. INA, that was aimed at ending the British Raj, was reportedly formed with Japanese aid and support. The then Japanese empire apparently controlled the INA jointly with the Indian Independence League. Japanese soldiers and forces led by Subhash Chandra Bose together fought against the British.
India and Japan have always maintained a cordial relationship, with both countries backing each other’s diplomatic efforts.
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