Spread over 45 acres in Halol, Gujarat, the manufacturing facility TOTO India Industries Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of Japan's TOTO Ltd., is producing quality sanitary ware products to cater to the domestic as well as international markets targeting mainly the Middle East and Europe.
Set up with an investment of about USD 69 million (Rs. 450 crore), the factory was formally inaugurated on August 20, 2014.
The plant is equipped with the very latest in manufacturing technology.
Employing around 500 people, it manufactures 5,00,000 units of hygienic and eco-friendly wash basins and bidets.
"Potentiality of Indian market - this is our main target and also we are looking for Europe and Middle East market as well as South Asia market and the USA. So, we are expecting export to those countries," said Takuya Nakajima, Vice President, TOTO India Industries Pvt. Ltd.
The manufacturing unit in Gujarat has plans for further expansion depending on the demands.
Aware of tough competition, TOTO India does not want to compromise with its motto of 'quality and uniformity'.
The company is offering water-efficient, easy-to-clean products especially tailored to the local market in a relatively low-price.
TOTO Ltd. is aiming to establish itself as the number one manufacturer of sanitary ware in India, ahead of the company's centenary in 2017.
"Well, the customer has realized that there are these high end products which offer technology, which offer great quality and also that we have been able to set up this factory and the products from this factory are at par with any products made by any other TOTO Plant," said Vishwanathan Ganesh, Production Director, TOTO India Industries Pvt. Ltd.
The establishment of manufacturing plant enables TOTO to strengthen its sales network throughout India.
The company has around 90 showrooms in major cities across India which sell imported and locally manufactured sanitary products.
"It is one of the fastest growing brands now in India. Since the time last year the factory opened, we have got a tremendous response with the brand," said Darshan Chaudhary, Director, Water world Ceramics Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai.
Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai has installed TOTO brand toilets, decorative plumbing fixtures and showers to provide comfort and luxury to its customers.
TOTO's sanitary ware products are now gaining popularity in India as frequent flyers wish to install eco-friendly and hygienic toilets in their homes.
Japan is also working towards improving mass transportation in Indonesia's Jakarta city, which is one of the most populous city in the world.
In a city of 28 million people, there are nearly 17.5 million motor vehicles running on its roads.
Jakarta has received the status of the city with the worst traffic in the world.
Jakarta's transportation problem could only be solved by the rail-based public transportation system, MRT - Mass Rapid Transit, which is being constructed by a consortium of Indonesian and Japanese companies.
A part of the construction of underground packages, including Stations and Tunnels, are carried out by the joint company SOWJ, Shimizu, Obayashi Corporation from Japan and Wijaya Karya - Jaya construksi Indonesia.
This MRT project is funded through STEP Loan by JICA - Japan International Cooperation Agency.
It is the first subway line in Indonesia, with a lead of Japanese construction companies.
"Shimizu Corporation has been constructing subways in Japan and overseas for long time. Shimizu is currently conducting underground railways constructions in Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam," said Kazuya Osako, Project Director for Jakarta MRT, Shimizu Corporation.
The tunnel construction is conducted by TBM - Tunnel Boring Machine.
Shimizu Corporation introduced the latest shield tunnel construction technology - The Earth Pressure Balance Shield Machine.
The cutter head of TBM excavates tunnels by moving forward at a speed of 8m a day. 6.05 meter inner diameter tunnels are created by removing an estimated five million cubic meters of material from the construction area.
The Japanese companies have provided metro rail network to many countries, including India.
