Japanese investments touch $1.2 b

Japanese investment in India has increased manifold to touch $1.2 billion last year as against $12 million in the year 1989, according to Mr Takayuki Kitagawa, Acting Consul General of Japan in Chennai.

Similarly, the number of Japanese companies operating in India increased to 1,133 as against just four, including Suzuki and Hitachi, in 1989, he said while addressing the Chamber Day of the Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Referring to Tamil Nadu, Mr Kitagawa said there are nearly 240 companies operating in the State. While the number keeps increasing the Japanese companies want improvement in infrastructure, he later told Business Line.

“What the Government committed on infrastructure did not happen. We can help in improving the infrastructure,” he said.

According to Mr Viji Santhanam, Chairman, Sundaram Finance Ltd and Managing Director, Brakes India Ltd, the Japanese people bring in lot of discipline and standardisation of process and procedures in the manufacturing sector.

The biggest area to learn from Japan is education and training, and the way they try to look at work and customers. There is tremendous future for both India and Japan to learn from each other, he said.