BENGALURU: Japanese ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu said on Saturday that he has a special interest in enhanced cooperation for the start-up business between India and Japan. Speaking at the 44th Foundation Day celebrations of Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIMB), he said, “There is a lot of synergy between the two countries and opportunities where we can collaborate and support each other. The relationship will provide greater stability for the entire region, economic and otherwise. Let us work together for the Japan-India bilateral relationship to flourish,” he added.
Hiramatsu discussed the current Japan-India relations regarding Prime Minister Abe’s visit to India last month and said that it would be a successful partnership. “Prime Minister Abe’s visit to India truly elevated Japan-India relations to an unprecedented height. The magnificent scene of a number of people on the streets of Ahmedabad orchestrating the enthusiastic welcome scene undoubtedly demonstrated the resounding success of the bilateral relations,” he added.
This year’s theme for the Foundation Day Lecture was ‘Japan-India Relations in a New Era: Partnership for Prosperity - Toward a Free, Open and Prosperous Indo-Pacific’. “Next week, we will be launching the Israel-India Centre at IIMB. The launch will also mark 25 years of India-Israel partnership,” said Prof G Raghuram, Director, IIMB. He added that IIMB is starting a doctoral programme in entrepreneurship.
Land for new campus
The state government has allocated 110 acres for the upcoming campus of IIMB at Jigani. Raghuram said the institute hopes to have experts from Japan for spatial planning and architectural design of the campus.
