PM Modi Calls for Stronger State-Prefecture Partnerships Between India and Japan

New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday pushed for increased regional collaboration between Indian states and Japanese prefectures that would boost bilateral ties and said “this partnership should not remain only on paper but should happen from paper to people to prosperity”.

Following his speech at a conference attended by 16 Japanese Governors in Tokyo, Modi accompanied by Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba travelled in a “Shinkansen” (bullet train) to Sendai in the Miyagi prefecture and was hosted for lunch. After that, both leaders jointly toured a factory in Miyagi of the Tokyo Electron Miyagi Ltd (TEL Miyagi), a leading Japanese company in the semiconductor sector.

New Delhi said PM Modi was “briefed about TEL’s role in the global semiconductor value chain, its advanced manufacturing capabilities and its ongoing and planned collaborations with India”. It added that the “factory visit gave the leaders a practical understanding of the opportunities that exist between the two countries to forge collaboration in the field of semiconductor supply chain, fabrication and testing”.

PM Modi left thereafter for the Chinese port city of Tianjin to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit on Monday. Before departing Japanese soil, he said, “This visit to Japan will be remembered for the positive outcomes which will benefit the people of our nations”.

Addressing Japanese Governors in Tokyo in the morning, PM Modi said: “Tour prefectures are real powerhouses of technology, manufacturing, and innovation (and that) some of them have economies larger than entire countries”.

Modi pointed out that many Indian states and Japanese prefectures already have partnerships and said: “We want Indian states to become hubs of international cooperation. With this in mind, Prime Minister Ishiba and I launched the State-Prefecture Partnership Initiative. Our goal is for delegations from at least three Indian states and three prefectures to visit each other’s countries every year. I warmly invite all of you to be part of this initiative, and to visit India.”

He added, “Let India’s states and Japan’s prefectures co-pilot our shared progress. Your province provides fertile ground not only for large companies but also for SMEs and start-ups. Similarly, in India, start-ups and MSMEs from smaller towns are playing a vital role in driving the country’s growth story. If these vibrant ecosystems of Japan and India come together - Ideas will flow, innovation will grow, and opportunities will unfold!”