Japan very keen on Chennai-Bangalore corridor: Delegation

A parliamentary delegation from Japan which visited Bangalore to further trade relations with the state said on Friday that it is looking forward to a larger stake in the upcoming Chennai-Bangalore Industrial Corridor (CBIC), a mega industrial project.

The corridor is planned along Chennai, Sriperumbudur, Ranipet, Chittoor, Bangarupalem, Palamaner, Bangarpet, Hoskote and Bangalore and is expected to boost commerce between South India and East Asia by enabling quicker movement of goods from these places to the Chennai and Ennore ports.  

Katsuyuki Kawai, Chairman of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs of Japan’s House of Representatives, who is leading the delegation, said that he has discussed a wider role for Japanese industry in developing the CBIC – a venture jointly promoted by Department of Industrial Policy and promotion (DIPP) and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“Japan can play a greater share in intensifying industrial activity through active participation in the development of this corridor,” Kawai said, noting that the high concentration of information techonology firms in Bangalore had impressed the Japanese delegation.

The delegation, which visited facilities of Sony India and Yokogawa India, said it was impressed by the industrial clusters, especially in the IT sector, which Kawai said holds huge potential for the economic growth of Karnataka.

“I am full of hope for the Indian economy, particularly the manufacturing sector, as Indian workers have been highly industrious and focussed. However, the disappointing factor is that despite these positives, there still only two Japanese IT-related firms operating out of Bangalore. We must ensure that this changes as there is scope for at least eight more Japanese IT firms to operate out of Bangalore,” Kawai said.

Promising to promote Bangalore as an investment destination with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, he said that the state’s infrastructure was still a painpoint for investors.