Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the Governors of various Prefectures of Japan. Sixteen Governors participated in the interaction.

In his address, Prime Minister noted that India-Japan contemporary ties, drawing vitality from the age-old civilizational connections between the two countries, have continued to flourish. Highlighting the momentum in the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership across domains, he emphasised that time had come to give a renewed push to State-Prefecture engagement, going beyond the ties centred around Tokyo and Delhi. In this context, he underlined the State-Prefecture Partnership Initiative launched at the 15th Annual Summit which would give a boost to trade, technology, tourism, skills, security and cultural linkages between the two countries. He urged the Governors and Indian State governments to leverage the new initiative and forge partnerships in the fields of manufacturing, technology, innovation, mobility, next-generation infrastructure, start-ups and SMEs.

Noting that each Prefecture in Japan has its niche economic and technological strengths, and likewise Indian states their own diverse capabilities, Prime Minister invited the Governors to participate in India’s growth story. He urged them to contribute towards youth and skills exchange commitments made by the two countries and optimally combine Japanese technology with Indian talent. The Governors noted that sub-national collaboration was key to take India-Japan business, educational, cultural and people-to-people ties to the next level of ambition.