- Japan PM Sanae Takaichi visits India to boost trade and bilateral ties at 16th Summit
- Commerce Minister Goyal highlights Japan’s role in India’s auto and infrastructure sectors
- Maruti Suzuki’s 40-year presence exemplifies Japan’s impact on India’s auto industry
As Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in India on a three-day visit, the focus is on trade and bilateral ties. New Delhi is hosting the 16th India-Japan Summit.
Speaking about the next chapter in the India-Japan partnership, Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India values its trade partnership with Japan and looks forward to taking it to the next level.
In a conversation with NDTV's Editor-in-Chief Rahul Kanwal at 'The Indo-Japan Strategic Dialogue', Goyal said Japan's engagement with India has largely focused on investments.
"Maruti Suzuki came to India nearly 40 years ago and brought modern, affordable, technology-driven automobiles, which ultimately set India on track to become a global power in the auto sector," he said, hailing Japan's contribution to India's growth story.
"In May, Maruti Suzuki accounted for 1.47 lakh cars out of 4 lakh passenger vehicles sold in India," the minister noted.
Elaborating on Japan's role in specific sectors, Goyal said the first dedicated freight corridor in India was built in partnership with Japan in Odisha, which helped evacuate iron ore.
Describing the trade engagement as multi-dimensional, the minister said India imports technology-driven products from Japan while exporting value-added goods.
"We are not selling raw materials or intermediates. We're selling Japan high-quality, precision-engineered material, auto components, and electronic components. So, this relationship has both trade and investment dimensions," he said.
"We encourage more trade and investments with Japan," Goyal added.
Bullet Train Project Back On Track
One of the flagship India-Japan projects is the 508-kilometre Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor. Using Japanese Shinkansen technology, trains will run at 320 km/h, cutting travel time between the two cities from over six hours to just over two hours.
Addressing delays in the project, Goyal targeted the previous MVA government in Maharashtra. He accused the Uddhav Thackeray government of stalling land acquisition "for the sake of politics".
"We were on track and almost all land on the Gujarat side was acquired. But the MVA government, maybe out of spite for the people of Maharashtra, didn't allot land for key stations. We lost a lot of time in the process," the minister said.
He assured that with the BJP-led government in the state, the project is back on track for the 2029 deadline.
"The land for the station has been given. My sense is the project is now on track," he said.
Opportunities For Indian Professionals
On opportunities for Indian professionals in Japan, Goyal pointed to the healthcare sector. Referring to demand for skilled caregivers for Japan's ageing population, Goyal said knowledge of Japanese language and culture could open avenues for Indian healthcare professionals.
"Japan is looking for highly skilled caregivers. But one prerequisite, and rightly so, is that the person should know Japanese. Otherwise, how will they provide nursing care to the elderly in Japan?" the minister said.
"If you have a combination of language skills and knowledge of their culture, it makes it even better."
