PM Modi meets Japanese IT giant head, discusses investment opportunities
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Japanese IT and electronics giant NEC Corporation's Chairman Nobuhiro Endo on Monday in Tokyo. Endo reportedly discussed opportunities in India in areas like smart cities, emerging technologies, and digital learning, while also discussing efforts to promote Japanese learning in India. Modi is currently in Japan on a two-day visit ahead of the second in-person Quad summit on Tuesday.
Why does this story matter?
On Monday, Modi arrived in Japan to attend the Quad summit, which aims to strengthen cooperation among member nations of Australia, India, Japan, and the US to discuss developments in the strategic Indo-Pacific region. China, which has territorial disputes with many countries in the Indo-Pacific region, slammed the Indo-Pacific strategy, saying it was a ploy to create divisions and incite confrontation.
Modi, Endo appreciated each other for contribution to India's telecom
"PM Modi has strong intentions to build and enhance capabilities. From smart cities' point of view, we can contribute and also provide communication platforms like 5G. We already have the solution in...those areas," Endo stated after meeting Modi. Moreover, Modi praised NEC Corporation's contributions to India's telecommunications sector—particularly the submarine optical fiber cable projects between Chennai-Andaman and Nicobar Islands (CANI) and Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands (KLI).
What did PMO say about the meeting?
The Prime Minister's Office tweeted that Modi "highlighted India's reform trajectory" during the meeting. "He talked about opportunities in areas such as digital learning, fintech, infra, and logistics networks." "They discussed various reforms being undertaken to enable ease of doing business in India, including in industrial development, taxation, and labor." "They also discussed opportunities in India for new and emerging technologies," said its statement.
India's reform path, PLI scheme investment opportunities
PM Modi also discussed India's reform path and the country's investment opportunities under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme with Endo. Notably, NEC Corporation is a Japanese multinational information technology and electronics corporation based in Minato, Tokyo.
US-Japan held a bilateral meeting
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and Japanese PM Fumio Kishida held a bilateral meeting in Tokyo on Monday. At a press conference, Kishida stated, "We (Japan and US) discussed the impact of Ukraine's situation on the Indo-Pacific region. For China, we concurred to monitor recent activities of the Chinese Navy and joint military exercises in China and strongly oppose the changes caused by force."
India-Japan partnership key pillar of secure Indo-Pacific region
To recall, before leaving for Tokyo, Modi underscored the importance of closer India-Japan cooperation, saying the partnership was a key pillar of a stable, secure Indo-Pacific region. He also said he was looking "forward to continuing our conversation further, with the aim of strengthening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership." Notably, Modi hosted Kishida for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit in March 2022.
PM Modi to hold talks with new Australian PM
In Japan, PM Modi will also hold a bilateral meeting with newly elected Australian PM Anthony Albanese. Both leaders are expected to hold discussions on the "multifaceted cooperation between the two countries under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and regional and global issues of mutual interest." Notably, Albanese's center-left Labor Party ousted predecessor Scott Morrison's conservative coalition in Saturday's election.
