Pitching for closer cooperation between India and Japan, visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Saturday said the two countries coming together has great transformational potential.
"A strong India and a strong Japan coming together can do wonders," Abe told a gathering of business leaders of both countries at a session here organised jointly by industry chambers FICCI, CII and Assocham.
"I am confident of the tremendous potential of cooperation between our two nations," he added.
The Japanese prime minister is on a three-day visit to India. He is accompanied by heads from companies like Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Sumitomo Chemicals, Toshiba Corporation, Mitsui, Daiichi Sankyo, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, East Japan Railway Company and Hitachi among others.
Abe said the Japanese industry has a "lot of things to offer that can help India".
"Medical technology is one area, especially in tackling life-threatening diseases. There are also many new medicines," he said.
More From This Section
"India is primarily an agricultural country and Japan has a lot of agriculture-related technology for cooperation.
"Seventy percent of India's power is generated from thermal sources. Japan has the most efficient technology to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent," he added.
Japan is currently involved in various projects aimed at revamping India's infrastructure and building high-speed railway connections and industrial corridors between the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai.
Pointing out that Japanese companies visiting India possess state-of-the-art technologies, Abe said the "high-speed railway is one area where we can contribute".
The two countries last year signed an agreement to undertake a joint feasibility study of a high-speed railway system on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route.
"Not only does India require Japan, but also Japan requires India, particularly for its human resources," the Japanese prime minister said.