CII delegation to assuage Japanese trade concerns

The CII delegation of Indian CEOs accompanying Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Japan hopes to assuage fears among Japanese companies about growing incidence of labour unrest in the country and slow pace of decision-making in the government.

Surinder Kapur, CMD, Sona group, who has successfully steered his four joint ventures with Japanese companies in the past 20 years and is a part of the CII delegation said: "Japan is an important trade partner and we have to address their issues on labour and administrative controls. The Honda Motorcycles' unrest and the time consumed for executing projects in India are their concerns and we will convince them of the changes taking place in India. Japanese firms have had a good experience in China, that has created huge business opportunities in that country. We will try to put the Indian picture in perspective."

The major sectors under focus are telecom, infrastructure, capital goods, heavy machinery and metals, while Indian strengths in the IT and auto component sectors will be showcased.

"We will be asking for greater FDI in infrastructure and the heavy machinery sector, where Japan has global expertise. Research & development is another area where we will stress greater exchange. The assistance should not be restricted to setting up of car plants in India, but also extend to designing, electronics, and technology development in the future," he said.

The Indian delegation will also focus on Japanese management techniques, including Total Quality Management (TQM), Total Productivity Management and other breakthrough quality practices.

Already, the CII has been taking missions of top CEOs and managers to Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers since 1989 and above 1,500 senior managers from more than 200 companies have participated in different training programmes since that time.

Kapur said: "We will also be looking at the softer side of the Japanese world. We in Sona have successfully blended their management methodologies with our production, leading to greater accountability and authority for our employees.