Collaboration between India and Japan has the potential to strengthen NE India’s trade and economy

*Paromita Das

On 3rd of March, Suzuki Satoshi, Japan’s Ambassador, stated to India, that the complete engagement between India and Japan would provide the landlocked northeast region with access to the Bay of Bengal and ASEAN countries, resulting in socioeconomic growth in the region.

Speaking during the second India-Japan virtual debate on the theme “Development of India’s North Eastern Region and Neighboring Countries: He stated at the “India-Japan Collaboration for Fostering Entrepreneurship and People Connectivity,” which was organized by the Indian think tank “Asian Confluence” in collaboration with the Japanese Embassy, that the Bay of Bengal and ASEAN countries played a key role in unleashing the enormous potential of growth and prosperity of the northeast region, based on better access to the Indian Ocean, and that this is critical for the improvement of people’s lives.

Satoshi believes that improving the quality of original and unique products from northeast India, as well as working together to build agri-business abilities, can be studied in the domain of agri-business.

Smita Pant, Joint Secretary, External Affairs Ministry, emphasized all of the projects based on hard infrastructure linkages that have already made progress in her talk.

With its plentiful produce and strategic location, the north-eastern region has the potential to be a big player in India’s international trade with its neighbors, particularly in the agriculture trade, she added.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency has funded 15 projects in the eight north-eastern states totalling $2,143 million, including forest management, biodiversity conservation, a northeast road network, Guwahati water supply and sewage projects, capacity enhancement for sustainable agriculture and irrigation development, and educational institution construction.

Experts discussed how to lure Japanese enterprises to the Northeast region, market linkages, developing qualified human resources, and maintaining security.

As Bangladesh transitions from Least Developed Nation status and more Japanese companies express interest in doing business in the country, connectivity and collaborative projects between northeastern India and Bangladesh with Japanese assistance can be a unique selling point, according to analysts.

Rajat Nag, Governing Council Member of Asian Confluence and former Chairman of the Asian Development Bank, emphasized specific product ideas such as buckwheat, bamboo, spices, shitake mushroom, medicinal plants, skill development, language training courses, and matching with educational institutions.

K.N. Kumar, Chairman of the Meghalaya Farmers’ Commission, spoke about specific buckwheat activities in Meghalaya, while bamboo resource expert Kamesh Salam discussed related projects.

According to Sabyasachi Dutta, Executive Director of Asian Confluence, the dialog was held not only to highlight and promote further narratives of cooperation. but also to facilitate matchmaking to forge concrete collaborations on specific products by connecting entrepreneurs and opinion leaders from Japan, India, and Bangladesh.

Deputy Chief of Mission, Japanese Embassy Kunihiko Kawazu, JICA India’s Chief Representative Mitsunori Saito, Assam’s Principal Secretary, Trade and Act East Policy Affairs, Dr. K.K. Dwivedi, East West University, Dhaka, Professor A.K. Enamul Haque, and IIT Guwahati’s Director Dr. T.G. Sitharam are among the other expert and diplomatic participants.