In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an official go to to Japan and had a summit assembly with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. During this go to, the leaders of the 2 international locations concurred to improve the bilateral relationship to a ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’. The two prime ministers resolved to rework the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership right into a deep, broad-based mostly, and motion-oriented partnership, which displays a broad convergence of their lengthy-time period political, financial, and strategic targets.
They introduced ‘Japan and India Vision 2025 Special Strategic and Global Partnership Working Together for Peace and Prosperity of the Indo-Pacific Region and the World”, in a joint statement that would serve as a guidepost for the “new era in Japan-India relations”. During the visit of the prime minister to Japan in June 2019, a Letter of Intent was signed at Kobe regarding Ahmedabad-Kobe Sister City Partnership to promote cultural and commercial ties.
Along with sharing such strong bilateral ties with India, Japan also shares a special cultural and business relationship with the State of Gujarat. In 2007, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the then chief minister of Gujarat visited Japan for the first time. The visit resulted in the establishment of strong bilateral ties between the State of Gujarat and Japan. Since then, the relations between Gujarat and Japan have grown at the highest level.
Japan is regarded as a key partner in India’s financial transformation. The India-Japan relationship has reworked right into a partnership of nice substance on account of a wide range of causes together with India’s massive and rising market and its sources, particularly the human sources.
In 2009, Japan turned the primary associate nation for the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, and it has been a associate ever since. This relationship between a developed nation and the state depicts the intense efforts and affection between Japan and Gujarat. To date, Japan has the very best participation within the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.
As a results of this particular relationship, greater than 35 Japanese corporations with 358 branches/ places of work and factories, together with Suzuki, Honda, Mitsubishi Motors, Hitachi, and Lumax are working in Gujarat. Also, 2 Japanese Industrial Townships (JITs) have been developed in Gujarat – one at Khoraj and the opposite at Mandal.
Today, Gujarat has emerged as one of many high automotive manufacturing hubs not solely within the nation however everywhere in the world.” Along with the success of Suzuki in India, Japanese corporations are additionally increasing in Gujarat from vehicles to biofuel. The Ahmedabad Business Support Center established by JETRO has the ability to supply plug-and-play work-house amenities to many corporations concurrently.
Today, there are three Japan-India Institutes for Manufacturing (JIM) in Gujarat that are coaching tons of of youths yearly. These JIMs are respectively setup by Suzuki Motors Gujarat Limited, Toyota Tsusho India Private Limited, and Otsuka Pharmaceutical India Private Limited. Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) joined as a Partner Organization for the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2009. Since then, JETRO has been instrumental in selling Japanese producers to discover enterprise alternatives and spend money on Gujarat.
Moreover, to supply a beneficial enterprise setting to Japanese corporations in Gujarat, the Gujarat Investment Promotion Programme (GIPP) has been instituted in collaboration with JICA. It has enabled to spice up the talent improvement within the State and has established India’s first International Automobile Centre of Excellence (I-ACE) in Gandhinagar in PPP mode with the Government of Gujarat. Several vital initiatives in Gujarat have been supported by Japan equivalent to Ahmedabad-Mumbai High Speed Rail, Ahmedabad Metro Project, Ecosystem Restoration Project, and lots of others.
Japan is amongst the highest sources for FDI to Gujarat with a cumulative funding of ~USD 3 billion from 2000- 2021. Further, in FY 2022-23, Gujarat exported items price USD 2.3 Billion to Japan.
Recently, to strengthen the ties between the state and nation, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel together with a excessive-stage delegation paid a go to to Japan. Wherein, they held numerous one-on-one conferences with the main industrialists and governors from completely different prefectures in Japan together with a roadshow to advertise the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024.
During this go to, the Chief Minister together with the excessive-stage delegation met with numerous heads of organizations, and monetary establishments together with collaborating in a Sneh Milan Program with Gujarati-Indian communities in Tokyo. This program was attended by leaders from the Gujarati and Indian communities residing in Tokyo, together with invited households and officers.
During the go to to Japan, the Hon’ble Chief Minister make clear Japan’s function within the improvement of Gujarat over the previous couple of years. He cited examples of initiatives such Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor and the DMIC (Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor) and the way they’ve performed a big function within the state’s improvement.
The Chief Minister met with Hon’ble Minister of Economy, Trade & Industry Mr. Yasutoshi Nishimura and mentioned about lengthy enterprise relations between Japan and Gujarat. The Chief Minister appraised Mr. Nishimura about funding-pleasant setting and insurance policies of Gujarat. They each expressed satisfaction on growing enterprise curiosity between Japan and Gujarat. The Chief Minister prolonged invitation to Mr. Nishimura to take part within the upcoming VGGS 2024.
The Chief Minister additionally met with the Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike and fondly remembered her motivational steerage on the six precedence sectors recognized within the U-20 Summit held throughout India’s G20 Presidency.
The Chief Minister prolonged an invite to Industry leaders, monetary establishments, commerce organizations, and the Tokyo Governor to take part within the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024. The VGGS 2024 will present a platform to debate and collaborate on numerous alternatives to spend money on the area together with contemporary alternatives for Japan-Gujarat relations and to foster new investments.
(The writer is the director-basic of JETRO Ahmedabad)
