Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Japanese PM Shinzo Abe launched work on India's first bullet train at Gujarat's Ahmedabad on Thursday this morning. The 508 km high-speed rail link to Mumbai is seen as a centrepiece of PM Modi's efforts to demonstrate India's capability to build high-tech projects. The project also signals New Delhi and Tokyo's close ties amid China's growing assertiveness in the region. The bullet train is expected to begin operating in 2022.
