India’s long-awaited bullet train project is finally moving ahead, with services on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route expected to begin by 2027. This was confirmed by India’s Ambassador to Japan, Sibi George, in an interview with CNN-News18 before Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Japan for the annual summit.

George said Japan has played a big role in India’s infrastructure growth, especially in the railway sector. Addressing doubts about delays, he assured, “We will have a train running on that corridor by 2027. I stand by what I said.” There are also reports that Japan may provide its E5 and E3 Shinkansen trains for trial runs.

Prime Minister Modi’s visit comes at a crucial time when both India and Japan are being seen as key partners in maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific region. George highlighted the strong bond between the two nations, calling it a relationship based on civilisational and cultural ties. 

He said the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, set up in 2014 by PM Modi and former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, continues to grow stronger. The upcoming summit will review progress and discuss new areas of cooperation, including technology and critical minerals.

Japanese investments in India

 During this visit, big economic announcements are expected. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has proposed investments of nearly Rs 5.96 lakh crore in India over the next 10 years. George said Japan has always been a reliable partner in India’s development journey.

He recalled how Suzuki revolutionised India’s automobile sector 40 years ago and said similar changes are happening today in other industries with Japanese support. In 2022, both countries set a goal of five trillion Yen investment in five years. So far, four trillion Yen has already been invested, and new investment targets are expected to be announced during this visit.