Amid tricky tariff-bound ties, PM Modi redoubles on Japan and Atmanirbharta

At a time when tariffs are increasingly determining global relationships which were once thought unshakable, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks at the inauguration of Maruti Suzuki’s green mobility initiatives in Gujarat on Tuesday signalled India’s bid to refocus its long-standing ties while pushing for Atmanirbharta.

During his almost half-hour-long speech, PM Modi mentioned Japan almost 31 times, with several allusions to the relationship, friendship, bond, and partnership that the country shares with India. “The relationship between India and Japan is a cultural and trust relationship far above just diplomatic relations. We see our progress in each other’s progress,” he said.

PM Modi started the speech discussing the thirteen years of Suzuki Motor Corporation’s presence in India, drawing parallels with teenagers.

“[This] is the beginning of [its] teenage years, and teenage is the period of spreading wings, of letting dreams fly. Gujarat’s [Maruti Suzuki] entering the teenage years means that in the coming days Maruti will spread new wings,” he added.

He spoke about the reason for permitting Maruti Suzuki to manufacture in Gujarat during his tenure as the state chief minister. He said, “The vision at that time was of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India.”

He said that with the latest eVITARA launch, these Made-in-India vehicles will be found around the world. “Maruti Suzuki is a brand ambassador of Make in India. Now, EVs, bearing the ‘Made in India’ tag, will be exported at a similar scale,” he added.

“This Make in India, Make for the World is a big leap towards our goal. From today, electric vehicles made in India will be exported to 100 countries. Along with this, hybrid battery electrode manufacturing is also starting today. Today is giving a new dimension to the friendship between India and Japan,” he added.

He emphasised that, given India has a massive connection with Japanese culture, the country is a fruitful ground for more Japanese companies to come and set up their offices.

“Due to these efforts of ours, the people-to-people connection between India and Japan is increasing a lot. We are also able to fulfil each other’s needs related to skills and human resources. I would like companies like Suzuki also to become a part of such efforts,” he added.

On hybrid automobiles’ battery manufacturing and Atmanirbharta

Speaking about the shortage of rare earth magnets, Modi said the country is preparing to identify spots where such critical minerals can be mined and to localise EV battery manufacturing.

“We all know that the most critical part of the EV ecosystem is the battery. Until a few years ago, batteries were completely imported into India. Keeping this in mind, we laid the foundation of TDS Lithium-Ion Battery Gujarat Pvt Ltd in 2017. On the new initiative of TDSG, three Japanese companies will together manufacture cells in this factory for the first time in India. The electrodes of battery cells will also be prepared locally in India. This localisation will give new strength to India’s self-reliance. This will accelerate the business of hybrid electric vehicles,” he added.

He spoke that due to national policies, the country has seen a massive uptick in its electronics production, which has jumped 500% in the past decade, and mobile phone production has risen by a much higher 2,700% since 2014.

“Manufacturing in India should be efficient and globally competitive. For this, we are building industrial corridors and plug-and-play infrastructure. India is also giving the benefit of production-linked incentives to manufacturers in many sectors,” he said.

“India is not going to stop here. We have to do even better in the sectors in which we have performed well. For this, we are emphasising Mission Manufacturing. In the coming times, our focus will be on futuristic industries. India is taking off in the semiconductor sector. Six plants of this are about to be ready in the country. We have to take semiconductor manufacturing further,” he added.

He said that to realise the Viksit Bharat @ 2047 aim, the country will have to focus on all areas. “I am confident that Japan will continue to be our trusted partner in achieving this goal. Our friendship will remain unbreakable. And sometimes I used to say that as far as the relationship between Japan and India is concerned, it is a relationship made for each other,” he added.