‘Make in India’ has become a movement in Japan: Modi

A $12-billion deal for Indias first ever bullet train network, an MoU on civil nuclear energy cooperation and sharing defence technology were among key agreements India and Japan today sealed to take forward their special strategic and global partnership to a new height. The two agreements were – concerning the Transfer of Defence Equipment and Technology and related to Security Measures for Protection of Classified Military Information.

While they agreed to work towards cooperation in civil-nuclear technology, the two leaders stopped short of signing an agreement.

“Prime Minister Modi’s economic policies are like Shinkansen – high speed, safe and reliable while carrying many people along”, Abe said in a reference to the Japanese bullet train.

The Indian prime minister said “Make in India” was proceeding in mission mode, not just in India, but also in Japan. “It is a symbol of a new level of mutual trust and strategic partnership”, he stated at a press briefing in the follow-up to the meeting with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Modi and Abe also met last month on the sidelines of the 13th Asean-India Summit at Kuala Lumpur and again during the Paris climate change conference.

He said Abe underlined Japan’s commitment to NPT, CTBT, FMCT and that he wants to continue dialogue with India on these points. “Japan will continuously offer cooperation for the development of India with the government and private sector working together”.

Mr. Yasuhisha told The Hindu that defence ties with India are now “fundamentally important” to Japan and that India’s flagship “Make in India” programme also will benefit from defence co-production plans.

India on Saturday signed an agreement with Japan for introduction of a bullet train between Amhedabad and Mumbai.

“Prime Minister Modi appreciated Japan’s consideration of providing highly concessional yen loan for the HSR on Mumbai-Ahmedabad route”. Japan imposed economic sanctions and cut off financial aid to India in 1998, when New Delhi conducted five nuclear tests.

In terms of liabilities, he said that the Japanese side was assured of the efficacy of the liability solutions that India had found earlier in the year.

Later in the day, Abe alongwith PM Modi will attend “Ganga Aarti” at Dasaswamedh Ghat in Varanasi. The India-Japan agreement calls on all parties to refrain from unilateral actions that could endanger peace.