Japanese SMEs to make aggressive forays into Indian market [Oct 2011]

November 10, 2011 10:25 am

Japanese Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are set to make aggressive forays into the Indian markets, particularly those of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat and West Bengal, as the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) strives to make SME globalisation a key pillar of its overseas activities.
 
Addressing a FICCI meeting in New Delhi on ‘India-Japan Economic Partnership: The Way Forward’, Tadashi Okamura, Chairman, JCCI, said, “During this visit to India, the Japanese business delegation plans to sign a MoU with the Government of Tamil Nadu aimed at cooperation in encouraging Japanese SMEs to invest in the State. We hope that this will prompt our members, especially manufacturers, to take greater interest in India and that will accelerate expansion into Tamil Nadu and India as a whole.”
 
Mr. Okamura observed that Japan’s small and medium-sized manufacturers have the advanced technical capabilities and by expanding into India, “I believe they can help local manufacturers to become more competitive through technology transfers, greater employment opportunities and human resources development.”
 
He announced that in addition to Tamil Nadu, JCCI is focusing on states including Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, where economic development is accelerating, Gujarat, which is actively soliciting investment and West Bengal, where there are moves to energise the economy through industrialisation.
 
“We would like to ask each state government to listen to the needs of the Japanese companies doing business in the respective states and strive to create an even better business environment, by bringing about improvements in infrastructure such as roads and ports and electricity supplies as well as industrial parks,” Mr. Okamura said.
 
He expressed confidence that the expectation that Japan-India trade would more than double to US$ 25 billion by 2014 was very likely to be achieved.