From Space to Sports and Bullet trains to Smart cities: PM Modi hails India-Japan ties and makes a strong pitch on Day 2 of his visit. Details here

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Prime Minister Shinzō Abe, as well as their respective delegations, continued where they had left off a day earlier, on the second and final day of the two-day bilateral between the two countries.

Earlier on October 29, PM Modi had engaged in talks with delegates, addressed the Indian diaspora and presented a pitch for the “Make in India" campaign, which was launched in 2014 with the motive of refurbishing India into a global manufacturing hub. 

“It is a matter of satisfaction that after embarking on this journey in 2014, the establishment of our Special Strategic and Global Partnership has been fruitful. Apart from segments like infrastructure, investment, security, and economy, we look forward to nurturing in other directions like agriculture, food processing, skill-development digital partnership and disaster risks,” said PM Modi in a meeting with Japanese PM Abe and other delegates. 

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He added, “The relationship of India and Japan is not restricted to just Delhi and Tokyo, but Parliamentary delegations, people to people contact and politically the relations between the two countries in deepening.” 

On his visit, he even interacted with the Indian community settled in Japan and while addressing them he touched upon an array of issues concerning the country and its relationship with the host country. 

He recognised that Japan and the Indian diaspora have a big role to play in India's growth story and emphasised on the Japanese contribution in fashioning smart infrastructure for building a 'New India'.

"From bullet train to smart cities, Japan is contributing in all the new India infrastructure that is being built," he said and hailed the escalating network of telecommunications and Internet in the country.

"Today India is making tremendous progress in the field of digital infrastructure. Broadband connectivity is reaching villages, over 100 crore mobile phones are active in India. 1 GB is cheaper than a small bottle of cold drink. This data is becoming the tool for service delivery," Modi said.

"We're manufacturing quality products not only for India but for the world. India is becoming a global hub, especially in the field of electronics and automobile manufacturing. We're rapidly moving towards being No 1 in mobile phones manufacturing," he said. 

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PM Modi, citing the Space program as an example, highlighted how India’s innovation isn't just cost-friendly but best in quality too. 

"Last year our scientists created a record by launching over 100 satellites into space simultaneously. We sent Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan at a very low cost. India is preparing to send Gaganyaan into space by 2022. Gaganyaan will be 'Indian' in all aspects and the one traveling in it will also be an Indian," he said.

The Prime Minister identified India’s economic progress as one of the speediest in the world. "After seeing these developments, international agencies say that India would drive the growth of the global economy in the coming decade," he said.

PM Modi shared how India is evolving, the world is taking note and their service to humanity is valued. "India is going through a massive transformative phase today. The world is appreciating India for its service to humanity. The Nation is being felicitated for its policies and for the work being done towards public welfare," he said

Modi said that India is continuously working with the spirit of 'Indian solutions-global applications', adding that India's model of financial inclusion, especially the JAM (Jan Dhan Yojana, Mobile, Aadhar) trinity and digital transaction model, is now appreciated all over the world.

He hailed the Indian diaspora for introducing Kabbadi and cricket in Japan where martial arts are very popular.  

"Just as lamps light up the dark during Diwali, wherever you are, you are spreading the light of India to every corner of the world and Japan and making the country proud," the Prime Minister said.

The visit to Japan has reflected a deepening of a bond between the two Asian countries, that also encapsulated ideas and elementals ranging from infrastructural development and telecommunications to space science and sports.