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Unique Special Economic Zone
for Japanese Small & Medium Enterprises
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Japan lifting 20-year old ban
on Indian mangoes
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Japan Bank for International
Cooperation to fund Pench Diversion Scheme in
Madhya Pradesh
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With Indo-Japan relations not growing at the right pace, both countries have
signed an accord that will “meet the needs of Japanese investors” and “address
India’s needs” to ensure “strategic importance of both countries” are met. The
plan is to build special economic zones (SEZ) and industrial parks as a
“support platform for a better trade and investment climate in India.” India
and Japan are planning on a
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA).
The Japanese conglomerate Mitsui has been awarded the charter to create a
“Japanese city” which is being positioned as distinctly different from current
SEZ. This “city” will cater to the needs of Japanese small and medium
enterprises (SME) and will be located on a 2000 acre site in Haryana. Commerce
and Industry Minister Kamal Nath said that “We are looking for a flow of
investments from Japanese companies, especially the SME sector, which are a
repository of technology but have been slow to invest in India.” While major
Japanese companies like Honda and Suzuki have large investments in India, Nath
said that “We are looking to scaling up their presence by setting up this
industrial sector.”
In a major boost to agricultural exports, Japan is lifting a 20 year old ban
on Indian mangoes because of a suspected fruit fly infestation in 1986. Fresh
mangoes from
Andhra Pradesh,
Gujarat,
Maharashtra,
Uttar Pradesh,
and West Bengal
will soon be exported to Japan.
Japan Bank for International Cooperation will fund the Pench Diversion Scheme
for Irrigation in Chhindwara (Madhya
Pradesh). This Rs. 564 crore (USD 122 million) project will irrigate
100,000 hectares.
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