New Delhi, March 30
Japan has evinced interest in investing in Punjab and partnering the state across key segments of growth and development, with a high-level delegation of the Japanese envoy and Mitsubishi Managing Director meeting Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh here on Thursday to discuss a range of possible areas of investment and collaboration.
The meeting between Captain Amarinder and Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plen
ipotentiary, Embassy of Japan, along with Mr. Kazunori Konishi, Managing Director Mitsubishi Heavy Industries India Private Limited, was described by both sides as preliminary but paved the way for more intensive discussions going forward.
Discussions at the meeting, which came within days of the Captain Amarinder government taking over the state’s reins, covered a wide range of subjects, which the two sides agreed to deliberate further to work out a collaborative mechanism.
An official spokesperson said after the meeting that Mitsubishi made a presentation to the Chief Minister listing several important areas for possible investment. These included Power, Smart Cities, (Automated Guideway Transit), Industrial Parks and Captive Power Plants, besides strengthening of some existing projects.
The Chief Minister showed interest in the AGT – a public transportation system based on Transit Oriented Development (TOD) – as a cheaper alternative to Metro Rail to offer an affordable and easy commuting option to people in the congested cities of Punjab, such as Ludhiana, Amritsar and Jalandhar.
Captain Amarinder also discussed development of roads and highways as a key step towards improvement of Punjab’s infrastructure. The Chief Minister also showed interest in Japanese investment in the development of economic corridors in the state.
Another important area that came up for discussion during the meeting was improvement in agriculture and horticulture, with the Chief Minister noting that despite small land holdings, Japanese farmers were able to deliver high yields. Punjab’s farmers could learn from the Japanese and use new methods to adopt a similar approach, he said, adding that the paddy and wheat cycle was no longer viable for the farming community and needed to be replaced with something more lucrative, such as horticulture.
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