Your Excellency, my younger sister, Prime Minister Takai ji, and foreign leaders of both countries. Namaskar. Konnichiwa. I am very happy to be among all of you at the India-Japan Joint Economic Forum. Many of your companies have been associated with India for a long time—some even for 100 years or more. And to the new partners joining this forum, I heartily congratulate you for becoming part of the India-Japan success story. Friends, the India-Japan relationship is truly very special. There are many bright examples of the success of our economic partnership. Just now we inaugurated the new Maruti Suzuki plant in Kharkhoda, Haryana. Today, two-thirds of Suzuki cars worldwide are made in India and are exported to more than 100 countries. Prime Minister Takai ji, I am told you have a great passion for motorcycles. We are very happy that Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Honda bikes are also exported from India to the world today. Similarly, whether it is air conditioners, power grid equipment, precision manufacturing, or medical technology, when Japan's expertise and investment combine with India's speed and scale, the whole world benefits. Friends, today the economic world is grappling with supply chain disruptions, trade uncertainty, and a decline in global demand. But as it is said: when the going gets tough, the top get going. India is the world's fastest growing major economy. In the last financial year, India's GDP growth was 7.7%. Not only that, over the past 12 years we have been transforming our economic DNA by adopting the Kaizen philosophy—continuous improvement. Just a few months ago, we carried out next-generation reforms in taxation, governance, and ease of doing business. We are opening every sector to the private sector and providing incentives in many important sectors from which all of you can benefit. This is why for the past four consecutive years, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) survey shows India as the most promising destination for Japanese business. Today I want to share that my office, the PMO, will organize a dedicated Japan Business Week. Senior PMO officers will sit with you, discuss, understand your problems, and talk openly to further improve ease of doing business. Friends, today Prime Minister Takai ji and I have decided to make our partnership even more dynamic and deeper. We have reached agreements on many subjects—economic security, AI, defense, health—that will make this partnership futuristic and limitless. There is strategic synergy, confidence, and most importantly clarity between our governments. Now the responsibility to turn this into outcomes rests with all of you. Friends, together you must ensure that in the next decade, investment from Japan to India crosses the target of 10 trillion yen, and the number of Japanese companies in India doubles in 10 years. Friends, I want to place a vision before you: a world where Japan's technology and India's market potential together build resilient supply chains in semiconductors, pharma, and critical minerals; where Japan's capital and India's ambition create new global leadership in shipbuilding, mobility, and clean energy; where startups from India and Japan bring next-generation solutions in AI, quantum, and biotech; and through unprecedented cooperation in aerospace and defense, we strengthen global security. Friends, let us pave the way for mutual growth and global good through this partnership full of trust and optimism. As Toyota says, let's go places together. Thank you very much.
