Japan's industry, academia hail PM Takaichi's India visit, highlight cooperation in education, AI healthcare, tech
New Delhi, July 2
Representatives from Japan's academia and industry on Thursday welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's first official visit to India, which they said will strengthen the bilateral collaboration in education, technology, investment and healthcare while opening new avenues for innovation and business between the two countries.
Speaking on the sidelines of the India-Japan Joint Economic Forum, Kazuhiro Yoshida, President of Japan's Gifu University, underscored the importance of industry-academia collaboration and next-generation education in sustaining long-term bilateral progress.
"I think the most important thing about PM Takaichi's visit here is the collaboration of the industry and also in other fields. Because I am representing Universities, education is very important," Yoshida told ANI.
Highlighting the role of education in deepening India-Japan ties, Yoshida said collaboration should extend beyond industry to include knowledge exchange and research in emerging sectors such as semiconductors, energy, agriculture and medicine.
"To make sustainable progression, the next generation education is basically important. Then, investment and new technologies exchange, including semiconductors, energy, agriculture and medicine. So, it is a really very good start," he added.
Meanwhile, Kosuke Kiryu, Managing Director of Tanita India Pvt. Ltd, said the company is expanding its operations in India and using the country as a base to develop and export innovative healthcare solutions.
He said the company's AI-enabled healthcare technology allows users to undergo a comprehensive body composition assessment in about a minute without invasive procedures, adding that the solutions developed in India would also be introduced in international markets.
"We are expanding our business in India and creating new services in India. Our new services combine AI healthcare technology and body composition technologies. This service is from India; then we will expand to other countries. In only one minute, there is a full body checkup without any human damage - like a blood test or x-ray," Kiryu told ANI.
In her address to the India-Japan Joint Economic Forum in New Delhi this evening, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced 129 private sector cooperation agreements between Japan and India involving investments exceeding JPY 2 trillion while declaring a joint development of a green ammonia production project with an annual capacity of approximately 400,000 tonnes.
She described these announcements as a new milestone in bilateral energy security cooperation, while noting that the green ammonia project would become "a symbol of a new chapter in energy security cooperation" between the two countries.
"Japanese and Indian companies will jointly advance a green ammonia production project with an annual capacity of approximately 400,000 tonnes. I sincerely hope that this project will become a symbol of a new chapter in energy security cooperation between our two countries," she said.
Highlighting the expanding economic partnership, the Japanese Prime Minister announced that around 129 private sector cooperation agreements had been concluded, accompanied by investments exceeding JPY 2 trillion.
"Our cooperation is no longer confined to the energy sector alone. The scope of this partnership continues to expand, and the range of stakeholders involved is becoming increasingly diverse, encompassing startups as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. On this occasion, we are pleased to announce approximately 129 private sector cooperation agreements. Together with this, investments exceeding JPY 2 trillion," the Japanese PM added.
Takaichi attended the India-Japan Joint Economic Forum along with PM Narendra Modi, where they also visited an exhibition showcasing bilateral economic and technological cooperation.
Takaichi is on a three-day official visit to India from July 1 to 3 at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi.
During the visit, she participated in the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit, where both leaders reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and discussed regional and global issues of mutual interest.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great to see focus on education and next-gen collaboration. Gifu University's emphasis on semiconductors, energy, agriculture, and medicine - these are exactly the sectors where India needs global partnerships. Our students and researchers will benefit hugely from this knowledge exchange. Hope the agreements translate into tangible outcomes on the ground.
As someone who's worked in India-Japan business for years, this is genuinely exciting. The 129 private sector agreements show real corporate confidence in India's market. Green ammonia at 400,000 tonnes capacity is huge for our renewable energy goals. But we need to ensure these investments create jobs for Indian youth too, not just tech imports.
The AI healthcare bit really caught my attention - full body checkup in one minute without blood tests or X-rays? That could revolutionise preventive healthcare in rural India where access to diagnostics is limited. Hope Tanita makes this affordable and accessible beyond just premium markets. Japan's precision technology combined with India's scale could be a winning formula. 😊
Impressive numbers but let's be cautiously optimistic. Past MOUs with other countries haven't always delivered. The green ammonia project sounds promising for our energy security, but we need clarity on timelines and local manufacturing. Also, why are most agreements just 'private sector' - where's the government-to-government technology transfer? Still, welcome move by PM Modi to strengthen this partnership.
Japan's focus on 'next-generation education' is exactly what India needs. Our curriculum often lags behind industry needs. If Japanese universities collaborate with Indian institutions on semiconductor research and AI
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.