Mori unveils Indo-Japan IT promotion plan

George Iype in Bangalore

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori has announced a Indo-Japan IT Promotion and Co-operation Initiative, which he said, will take the current low-profile bonds between the two countries in the infotech fields to a great potential.

Addressing the joint meeting of Indian and Japanese industrialists and infotech leaders in Bangalore on Tuesday, Mori said that he will present the IT Initiative proposal to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi.

The proposal, the Japanese premier elaborated, consists of three pillars which he termed as the economic exchanges, the human resources exchanges and private sector exchanges.

As part of the promotion of the economic exchange programme, the Japanese government will despatch a large-scale economic mission to India led by Keidanren, the apex body of the country's business and economic councils. In addition, a separate business mission will be sent in January next year to visit exclusively India's IT companies.

"Both these missions will trigger active interchanges with promising IT companies in India," Mori said. Also, an India IT symposium will be held in October in Tokyo.

A host of leading industrialists led by the country's infotech czars Infosys chairman N R Narayana Murthy and Wipro chairman Azim Premji attended the programme organised by the Karnataka government and the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Chief Minister S M Krishna made a presentation to Mori showing him the state as the ideal destination for Japanese investment in fields ranging from infotech, agriculture, automobiles, infrastructure to agriculture and sericulture.

Mori said Japan is eager to promote exchanges of human resources to explore new Indo-Japanese co-operation on IT. Towards this end, Japan will train 1000 Indian engineers on Japanese business practices and language.

Mori also announced that Japan will soon launch an expansive measure on the issuance of multiple entry visas for short-stay visits in Japan from India for business purposes.

He said it is important that India and Japan start a dialogue on such policy issues as e-government, e-commerce. He also announced a Japan-India IT Summit to serve as a symbol of bilateral co-operation between the two countries.

"The combination of prominent human resources and technology of Japan and India will make a real contribution to the efforts being made by the international community as a whole, that includes finding a solution to the digital divide," he stated.

In a tone tinged with only infotech jargon, the Japanese premier said that IT is a theme to which high priority is given in Japan. He said a new information society will be created with the Internet connecting between not only computers, but also various vehicles such as mobile phones, home electronics appliances and automobiles and railways through intelligent transportation system.

"IT is the key to the prosperity in the 21st century," Mori said. He stated that ever since he took charge as prime minister, one of his top priorities has been the promotion of the IT revolution in pursuit of bold and rapid reform of Japan's economic structure.

He said Japan has already drawn up a comprehensive assistance package extending a total of approximately $15 billion over the next five years for the promotion of IT use among developing countries with particular emphasis on Asia.

"India is now widely recognised as an advanced country in the IT field. I can see great potential in promoting close dialogue and co-operation with India in this field," he said.

Praising India's IT revolution, he said India possesses high software technology that leads the world and embraces rich and prominent human resources.

Japan has one of the largest markets in the world and high technology for manufacturing. Thus, a very strong complementary relationship exists between India and Japan.

"Therefore, I can find good reasons for the two countries to co-operate in this field and am firmly convinced that such co-operation would lead to the opportunity for the global economy in the 21st century to spur forward," Mori remarked.

The Japanese prime minister also expressed a word of caution. Indirectly hinting at the nuclear race between India and Pakistan in Asia, Mori said science and technology should be used for peace, and not for the creation of weapons of mass destruction.

He said Japan has one of the worst sufferers of a nuclear holocaust. "Therefore, amidst our remarkable achievement in the fields of science and technology and information technology, we should not forget to use our abilities in these fields for peace, not for destruction," the Japanese premier added.

Later, he is expected to leave for New Delhi, to meet Vajpayee and other ministers, on his four-day visit.

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