Konnichiwa Pune To Celebrate Indo-Japan Relation

In its ongoing efforts to boost investment, promote business and cultural exchange, the Indo-Japan Business Council (IJBC) is organising a three-day virtual cultural and business fest – Konnichiwa Pune - from Friday, 19^th.

Konnichiwa Pune 2021 - Inaugural Programme

“This umbrella platform jointly offered by IJBC and Consulate-General of Japan in Mumbai,” according to Mr. Masahide Sato, Chief Consul, Consul-General of Japan in Mumbai, would further strengthen the friendship between India and Japan.

“Thanking the IJBC members for their contributions in holding the online festival,” Mr. Sato said the event would be a great opportunity for everyone to experience both the Indian and Japanese cultures together.

The Indo-Japanese relations with a long history rooted in spiritual affinity have steadily deepened over the years particularly after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Japan in the year 2014.

The Act East Forum established in 2017 further aims to provide a platform for India-Japan collaboration under the rubric of India’s ‘Act East Policy’ and Japan’s ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision.’

Japan, a key partner in India’s economic transformation, has been increasing its stakes in India due to the country’s large and growing market and its resources. The bilateral trade between Japan and India for FY 2019-20 had stood at close to $12 billion.

Japan, now ranking fifth among the major investors in India, has invested around $35 billion mainly in automobile, electrical equipment, telecommunications, chemical, financial and pharmaceutical sectors.

“India and Japan are in wonderful partnership. Its moving with a certain pace. We have to take our ambition graded and in a phased manner," said, Sanjay Kumar Verma, Indian Ambassador to Japan. “The most important part of doing business at the moment is to understand each other’s culture of doing business,” he added.

"The key word for India-Japan interactions, partnerships should be innovation. The innovation not only in technology. innovation could also be in social sector, the way we amend our approach towards each other or to device a new business tactics when we interact with each other,” Mr. Verma further opined.

Sidharth Deshmukh, IJBC President and Abhishek Choudhury, Vice President Industrial Relations-IJBC said the number of Japanese companies registered in India has increased 10.0 per cent since 2016 with the number reaching 1455 in 2020. These companies are having close to 5000 establishments across various Indian cities.

The highlights of Konnichiwa Pune, according to the organisers of the online fest, include Indo-Japanese fusion in the form of cultural shows, food workshops, education fair, panel discussions and talk shows besides business sessions. Participants can watch virtual cultural and business fest by logging on www.konnichiwa.ijbc.org.