PM Modi wraps up his Japan visit, agreements for investment worth 35 billion dollars in India signed

Tokyo: After concluding his successful visit to Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday left for home. From signing crucial agreements opening the doors to investment worth 35 billion dollars, to charming his audience with his oratory skills, PM Modi did it all before signing off from Japan.

During his 5-day tour, Japan promised to give USD 35 billion to India over the next 5 years for developmental projects. The two countries also decided to enhance cooperation in defence and other strategic areas and also signed five pacts covering defence exchanges, cooperation in clean energy, roads and highways, healthcare and women while vowing to take their relationship to newer level.

Japan also lifted ban on six Indian entities including Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) which had been imposed in the aftermath of 1998 nuclear tests.

On his first outside the subcontinent since becoming the PM in May, he invited Japanese investments while hard-selling India as a conducive destination for business particularly for the manufacturing sector. He told the Japanese businessmen that India was awaiting the investments with a 'red carpet' and not 'red tape' as rules and procedures have been eased by his government.

Winding up his official programme on Tuesday, Modi expressed gratitude to Japan for reposing "trust" in India and demonstrating its friendship with a quip "yeh fevicol se be zyada mazboot jod hai (this bond is stronger than that of fevicol)".

"This visit has been very successful," Modi had said at the Indian community reception hosted in his honour. "There has been talk about billions and millions. But there has never been talk of trillions," he said, referring to 3.5 trillion Yen (USD 35 billion or 2,10,000 crore) promised by Japan to India through public and private funding over the five years for various works, including building of smart cities and cleanup of the Ganga river.

During the talks between Modi and Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, the two sides agreed to enhance their defence and strategic cooperation to a new level and also decided to speed up negotiations on civil nuclear deal that could not be concluded now.

Striking good personal chemistry, the two leaders had "very fruitful" exchanges. Abe also went out of his way to receive Modi in Kyoto when he went there on August 30 in the first leg of his 5-day tour. In Kyoto, a pact was signed under which Modi's Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi would be developed on the pattern of Kyoto 'smart city' with the help of Japan.

Abe also announced that as an example of Indo-Japan Cooperation, Tokyo will help India in providing financial, technical and operational support to introduce Bullet trains, a project that Modi has been actively pursuing. "This is not just raising the relationship from one category to another. Our relationship is not only regional in its framework, but will have a global impact," Modi, who concluded his five-day visit to Japan, said.

Modi also gifted the Bhagvad Gita to his counterpart Shinzo Abe and Japanese emperor Akihito, a move he said would probably spark of the secular - communal debate back in India again.

On a lighter note, Modi was also seen playing drums, much like a professional, when he was at a Tata consultancy project that he flagged off on Tuesday. He was also seen humming songs as young children performed at the Indian embassy in Tokyo where he inaugurated the Vivekananda learning centre.