What Modi wants to achieve with Japan - good write up

Narendra Modi's five-day trip to Japan, which began on Saturday, is not just another foreign visit of the Indian Prime Minister. It will be one of the cornerstones of India's foreign policy and a way to bring in more FDI and develop infrastructure in the country.

1. Hindi-Japanese bhai-bhai: Modi wants to build a strong, deep and strategic relationship with Japan to counter China's aggressive stance. Japan and the US are the two most important elements of this plan. Since US President Barack Obama has now become less powerful due to domestic reasons and has not the same kind of aura he once had, Modi is keenly interested in Japan. Japan is one of the most powerful economies of the world and is equally uneasy with China which wants to dominate the region.

2. Modi-Abe friendship: Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe share an excellent relationship. When Modi tweeted in Japanese, Abe quickly responded on Twitter saying he is keenly looking forward to welcome Modi. Abe has millions of followers on Twitter. But he follows only three people - his wife Akie Abe, historian Naoki Inose and Modi. Modi and Abe, both right-wing nationalists, elected on the promise of reviving their countries' economies, share a common concern to counter an increasingly assertive China.

3. Japan Tech, Made In India: Modi and Abe can reach an agreement to double Japanese FDI in India over five years. Modi will try to convince Japan to set up manufacturing units here to fulfill his dream of India being a manufacturing hub.

By doing this, Modi wants to balance the trade with China and be in a better position. Right now, exports from China to India are threes time the import. The worst part of our trade with India is that China exports us manufactured goods while India sends it ores and raw material.

Modi wants to change this scenario with help from Japan. For example, Japanese company TOTO, one of the biggest brands of hi-tech sanitaryware in the world, has already set up a unit in Halol in Panchmahal district of Gujarat.

Big business delegation: Indian business tycoons in Tokyo coinciding with Modi's trip will play a key part in increasing FDI inflows into India as they explore Japanese partners for new ventures.

Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani, Azim Premji, Chanda Kochhar, Shashi Ruia, S. Ramadorai and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw are some of the big names in the delegation to Japan.

4. India's gift to Japan: Japan is keenly looking forward to Modi's visit for an agreement for supply of rare earth metals from India. Thereafter contracts will be signed for a two-year supply. This has been delayed since the days of the UPA regime. Tokyo has been pushing for supply of rare earth metals and exports. The pact was aimed at reducing Japan's heavy reliance on China for the key material that is vital for producing a range of high-tech products - the pillar of Japan's exports. It is world's biggest importer of rare earth.

5. Amphibious planes: One of the highlights will be talks of buy the US2 Shinmaywa amphibious planes. If India agrees to buy this in good numbers, there is a good chance that the Japanese will agree to jointly manufacture the plane in India. India will be the first county to which Japan will export this hi-tech plane. Japan has developed it for defence purposes, but India wants to buy it for civilian use as rescue planes.

6. Bullet trains: Another big highlight of the Modi trip could be an agreement on bullet trains. Japan's bullet trains have the best safety records in the world but they are costlier than the Chinese ones. China is also in the race to sell bullet trains.

7. Smart cities and nuclear deal: Smart cities are Modi's dream and no other country can be a better example than Japan. Kyoto was chosen as one of the destinations because it is the oldest city in Japan and also one of the smartest. Modi wants to replicate this in Varanasi. India will try to strike a deal with Japan for civil nuclear deal. This will permit Japanese companies to supply components for Indian reactor. more