The Japanese have always been welcome in TN. Out of about 725 Japanese companies in India, about 286 are

located in this state. Nissan, Toshiba, Mitsubishi, Marubeni, Mitsui, Hitachi, Komatsu etc have a base in TN. Steps are being taken to increase the number of Japanese companies to 400 in a planned manner. Now a Japanese township is being planned on the outskirts of Chennai. Two-thirds of the 1,450-acre township will be used by industries, while the remaining will be residential.

When a high-level Japanese team visited Chennai recently, CM J Jayalalithaa had a free-wheeling

discussion with them on issues ranging from industrial corridors and port development to a high-speed rail

network. Japanese companies?predominantly into auto, manufacturing and high-cost investment industries in the state?have been enthusiastically facilitated by successive governments. But the Jayalalithaa regime is planning to set up exclusive Japanese clusters for their convenience. The Japanese government has already initiated the process of floating Japanese industrial parks for companies to start ventures in TN.

While in Chennai, the representatives of Japan Inc made a strong pitch for getting adequate infrastructure

facilities for Japanese companies. Headed by Japanese economy and trade minister Yukio Edano, the delegation met the CM to facilitate a MoU between the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and the Tamil Nadu Industrial Guidance the Export Promotion Bureau, for setting up a business support centre in Chennai to help the Japanese companies planning to invest in TN. The state government and Japanese institutions have a strong relationship?endorsed by the slew of MoUs signed by the Guidance Bureau with Mizuho Bank, JETRO, the government of Hiroshima and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry for investment and trade promotion.

The TN government has also set up a joint working committee to address a broad range of issues ranging from cultural and educational exchanges to infrastructure development in a comprehensive manner. For example, the Japanese want the facilities in and around the Ennore port to be scaled up and they have offered to help the state government in improving the Chennai-Bangalore industrial corridor.

Jayalalithaa told the delegation that her government would shortly announce a new industrial policy that will be investor-friendly, and will also be aimed at balanced and sustainable growth. She promised that the problems relating to the Ennore port would be looked into on a war footing. The Japanese companies located in TN depend on this port for their export needs but its facilities need to be upgraded and its approach road needs to be decongested. Jayalalithaa said that the state highways department was undertaking a study to form a separate road called the Northern Port Access Road. ?My government is committed to providing high class infrastructure in the state as it is the basis of all growth and development. Particular emphasis will be laid on improving the quality of roads and bridges. Recently, I have sanctioned R1,900 crore under the comprehensive road development programme of state highways department?, Jayalalithaa told the Japanese delegation. Besides, the TN government is working on improving connectivity with Bangalore, for which an integrated master plan will be drawn up soon.

Pointing out that research shows that many Tamil and Japanese words bear phonetic resemblances, Jayalalithaa said that the long-standing cultural exchanges between India and Japan have helped in economic bonding too.