Modi in Tokyo to bring the new Shinkansen production to India
Before his highly anticipated trip to China, the Indian prime minister is in Japan, a clear sign that he wants to counterbalance his overtures to Beijing. Economic co-operation is the focus of the visit, especially in high-speed trains and new technologies. Both sides are seeking a mutually beneficial partnership.
Tokyo (AsiaNews) – The E10 Shinkansen, Japan’s latest ultra-fast train, will be manufactured in India. This is expected to be the highlight of the Indian prime minister's visit to Japan today and tomorrow, the Hindustan Times reports.
Coincidentally, the visit comes on the eve of a four-day trip that will see Modi return to China after six years, for the highly anticipated Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Tianjin followed, on 3 September, with a visit in Beijing, as one of 26 heads of state and government who will attend a parade to mark the 80th anniversary of China’s victory over Japan in World War II, which Chinese President Xi Jinping wants to celebrate with great patriotic fervour.
The Tokyo visit signals New Delhi's desire to counterbalance its rapid rapprochement with China, driven by the crisis with Washington sparked by the tariff war.
Moreover, Japan is a member of the Quad, the four-country forum that brings together the United States, Australia, India, and Japan, set up in 2007 at the initiative of then-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to offset China's expansion in the Asia-Pacific.
Modi and his counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba, will likely discuss the future of the forum, which New Delhi needs to avoid being smothered by China's cumbersome embrace.
But the focus of Modi’s visit remains the economy, the area of relations with Japan on which India relies most.
“Japan’s excellence and India’s scale can create a perfect partnership,” said the Indian leader. The agreement on next-generation high-speed trains therefore fits this approach.
Manufacturing the E10 Shinkansen in India would be a win-win situation for both countries, as it would meet India's growing demand for transportation, while boosting its exports to other countries.
India's low-cost production facilities, combined with Japanese technology and rigorous quality controls, would make this project a model of excellence.
The E10 Shinkansen is currently being tested in Japan and scheduled to enter service in 2030, with potential top speed of 400 km/h, far faster than the current model's 320 km/h.
Joint manufacturing would complement the existing co-operation between the two countries on the Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed rail project, a 508-km stretch that has faced numerous delays and budget overruns.
The first 50 km are expected to enter service in Gujarat in 2027, with the remainder by 2029.
INDIAN MANDALA IS THE ASIANEWS NEWSLETTER DEDICATED TO INDIA. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RECEIVE IT EVERY FRIDAY? TO SUBSCRIBE, CLICK HERE.
.png)
