Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Japan’s Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Hiromasa Nakano, jointly reviewed the progress of India’s first High-Speed Rail (HSR) project at Surat, underscoring the growing strength of India-Japan cooperation in infrastructure development.

The visit took place on Friday, where Minister Nakano was warmly welcomed at Surat airport with a traditional Garba ceremony, symbolising India’s cultural hospitality. Both ministers inspected several advanced construction elements, including the track slab laying car and the track slab adjustment facility, which are crucial for precision alignment in bullet train operations. They expressed satisfaction over the quality and speed of work being maintained at the Surat site.

During the visit, Ashwini Vaishnaw reiterated that the upcoming bullet train would drastically reduce travel time between key urban centres. He highlighted that passengers would soon be able to commute from Surat to Mumbai in just about one hour, making same-day return travel for business and personal commitments a reality.

The ambitious Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor represents a flagship endeavour under India’s partnership with Japan. The project is being implemented with technical expertise and financial support from the Japanese Government, reflecting the depth of bilateral collaboration under the “Special Strategic and Global Partnership.”

Relations between India and Japan have evolved significantly over the past two decades—from a Global Partnership in 2000 to a Strategic and Global Partnership in 2006, and finally to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014. Annual summits since 2006 have deepened engagement across economic, infrastructure, and technological domains.

Beyond infrastructure, collaboration extends into education, research exchanges, and cultural outreach. Bilateral cooperation supports university partnerships, government scholarships, and the promotion of Japanese language education in India.

Similarly, the Indian diaspora in Japan has grown, particularly in sectors such as IT and engineering. The Nishikasai area of Tokyo has emerged as a “mini India,” housing a vibrant Indian community and three Indian schools, with approximately 51,000 Indians now residing across Japan.

The Surat HSR site visit symbolises the tangible progress of India’s transformative infrastructure mission and the enduring strength of India-Japan relations rooted in mutual trust, cultural affinity, and shared development goals.

Based On ANI Report