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Holding that the environment of "disappointment" was over, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invited Japanese businesses to join India's developmental efforts with a promise of non-discriminatory and speedy clearances and announced setting up of a Special Management Team under PMO to facilitate business from Japan.
"The whole world accepts that the 21st century will belong to Asia. But I have a question. How should the 21st century be? We have to give an answer to this. It will depend on how deep and progressive our relationship (between India and Japan) is," he said addressing business leaders of India and Japan here.
Modi flagged the recent decisions to liberalise FDI policy in the railways, defence and insurance and said rules and laws are being changed in India which would show results in the near future.
He said India wants to emulate Japan in terms of quality, zero defect and delivery systems while carrying out skill development.
Modi underlined the need for closer and deeper cooperation between Japan and India to champion the cause of global "vikas vaad (development) instead of vistar vaad (expansionism)".
"We have to decide if we want to have 'vikas vaad' or 'vistar vaad' which leads to disintegration. Those who follow the path of Buddha and have faith on 'vikas vaad', they develop. But we see, those having ideas of the 18th century, engage in encroachments and enter seas (of others)," he said. While Modi didnot name any country, the comments may be seen as targeting China, which is engaged in territorial disputes with a number of its neighbours, including India, Japan and some others including Vietnam.
Modi in the Land of the Rising Sun
