With trade relations between China and the West deteriorating, Japanese companies are looking to India as an alternative supply chain destination amid the South Asian giant’s rapid development, ongoing economic reforms and increasingly close ties with Japan, according to New Delhi’s top envoy to Tokyo.
“We see Japanese prefectural governors leading a growing number of business delegations to India, sometimes 100-member strong, as they look for skilled manpower and new investment opportunities,” Indian Ambassador Sibi George told The Japan Times in an interview.
“Whether it is Gujarat, Odisha or Tamil Nadu, things are moving pretty fast,” the 57-year-old career diplomat said, noting that the prefectural-level push reflects growing interest by small and midsize Japanese companies to explore India’s rapidly developing business environment, especially as rising geopolitical tensions prompt countries like Japan to redirect supply chains away from China.