A high-speed railway project in India backed by Japan, featuring its shinkansen bullet train technology, could see start commercial operations begin by 2026, the South Asian country's envoy said Thursday.
The project's inauguration "could be 2026, or it could even be early," although the two nations are still "in consultation on the exact timeframe," Indian Ambassador to Japan Sibi George told Kyodo News in an interview in Tokyo.
"What I can say is that there is considerable progress in the project," George said. The original schedule for the start was sometime in 2023.
India's first-ever shinkansen project, which covers a distance of some 500 kilometers between the western cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad and cuts travel time from six to two hours, was agreed between the Japanese and Indian governments in 2015. Construction work began in 2017.
The completion has been pushed back mainly due to a site acquisition delay. But India's Ministry of Railways said in January this year that the land purchase had been completed, while its minister reportedly said in March operations could start in 2026.
As this year marks the 10th anniversary of Japan and India's "special strategic and global partnership," George said there will "definitely" be mutual visits by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi this year as they have done so every year recently.
"We would be looking forward to have a very productive and interactive year, which would help us to take our relationship to new higher levels," George said, adding that the ties are "so broad and wide-ranging," covering the fields such as economy, energy and defense.
Referring to the Quad, a four-way security dialogue framework involving Japan, India, the United States and Australia, George underscored the importance of like-minded nations to "work together for the prosperity and stability" of the Indo-Pacific region.
The Quad is widely considered a counterweight to China, which has been intensifying its maritime assertiveness in the region.
The ambassador also said India aims to increase the number of Japanese firms operating in the country "from the current 1,500 to 15,000 in the next few years."
