The North News
New Delhi, August 29
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a renewed push to strengthen ties between India and Japan, urging Japanese companies to expand their role in India’s growth story. Speaking alongside his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba at the India–Japan Economic Forum on Friday, Modi said the two nations had already built a successful collaboration in the automobile sector and could now replicate that success in areas such as batteries, robotics, semiconductors, shipbuilding and nuclear energy.
“Together, we can also contribute to the growth of the Global South, especially Africa. I urge you all — come, Make in India. Make for the world,” Modi said, pitching India as a hub for innovation and manufacturing.
The Prime Minister said sensitive areas such as defence and space had already been opened to the private sector, and that India was now opening its nuclear energy sector as part of sweeping reforms. “Behind these reforms lies our resolve to build a Viksit Bharat [developed India],” he said. “The world is not just watching India, it is counting on India.”
Highlighting India’s investments in cutting-edge sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotech and space, Modi said Japanese technology combined with Indian talent could lead the “tech revolution of the century”.
Japan has remained one of India’s closest economic partners, with bilateral cooperation spanning metros, manufacturing, semiconductors and start-ups. Modi noted that Japanese companies have invested more than $40bn in India. “In India, capital does not just grow, it multiplies,” he said.
Modi also cited the government’s focus on ease of doing business, including a single-window digital approval system. “Our reforms are not limited to tax structures. They are part of our conviction and strategy to transform India into a developed economy,” he said.
Pointing to India’s rising global standing, he said even global credit agencies had recognised the shift. “S&P Global has upgraded India’s credit rating for the first time in two decades,” Modi said.
