'Japan Desk' to be set up in Maharashtra: Devendra Fadnavis

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced to set up a 'Japan Desk', a one-stop shop in the state for all Japanese companies. He also said that Japan, which will fund the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, has agreed to study the proposal for the train to go via Nashik.

"I am happy to inform that we are setting up 'Japan Desk', a one stop shop in Maharashtra for all Japanese companies," Fadnavis said at a seminar on 'Investing in Maharashtra' held in Tokyo today.

He also said that his government was trying to set up Japanese Industrial Park at Supa with the help of Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO).

Maharashtra accounts for 15 per cent of national exports, 30 per cent of the national FDI which includes 7 per cent from Japanese FDI. The 3 Ds- demography, democracy and demand are in favour of investment in India and Maharashtra is the most preferred destination, Fadnavis said addressing and interacting with officials from around 300 Japanese business houses at the seminar.

Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) also agreed to support new tourism infrastructure in Ajanta, Lonar in this meeting with Fadnavis, an official in CMO informed.

Fadnavis proposed that the bullet train from Ahmedabad to Mumbai should go via Nashik, to which JICA agreed to study the proposal.

JICA will start public consultation on Mumbai Metro next week and will also support the bullet train project. It assured Fadnavis to fast-track funding for Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) project so as to start bidding by December this year. The Chief Minister met JICA's representatives and SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son.