Andhra Pradesh Industries and Commerce Minister Mekapati Gautam Reddy says another Japanese industrial township is being set up in the State.

December 2020 – Shri Mekapati Gautam Reddy, Minister for Industries & Commerce, Andhra Pradesh has said that another Japanese industrial township is being set up in the State at Vishakhapatnam. He said that the township will be spread over nearly 10 lakh sq.ft in one of the industrial nodes of the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC), India’s first coastal corridor as part of the East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC). The minister was speaking after participating in the Japan Partnership Conference hosted by DPIIT, CII. He also mentioned that there already is a well-established Japan Industrial Township (JIT) in Sri City, one of the sites envisaged to be developed as a Japanese Industrial township as per the agenda for the India-Japan Investment and Trade Promotion and APAC Economic Integration signed in April 2015.

Union DPIIT Secretary Guru Prasad Mohapatara, State Industries Special Chief Secretary Karikala Valavan, APIIC Vice Chairman Raveen, ED Pratap Reddy, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Vice Minister Sun Shigehiro Tanaka were present on the occasion via video conference. CII Vice Chairman Vikram Kirloskar, Ambassador of India in Japan Sanjay K Verma, CII representatives and industrialists were participated.

Speaking on the occasion, Gautam Reddy said that Andhra Pradesh has always had good relations with Japan. He said a Japan enclave would be set up in 10 lakh square feet in Visakhapatnam. He said special concessions would be given to Japanese companies investing in the state from China. He said the 'Japan desk' was set up specifically to attract investment. He said the AP already has reputed industries like ATC Tyres and Yokohoma Group and reminded that the training centre was set up to provide employment and training to 2,000 youth in the manufacture of vehicle tyres alone.

“We are setting-up Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing (JIM) to increase training programmes in more sectors where Japanese companies tend to invest in India. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has prepared the overall perspective plan of Chennai-Bangalore Industrial Corridor (CBIC), funding about Rs 1,300 crore in collaboration with the National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT) for development of Krishnapatnam Node (12,944 acres) Industrial Hub for Resource-driven Industries. About Rs 18,548 crore investment is envisaged,” explained Reddy. Around 25 Japanese companies are already operating in Andhra Pradesh, he added.