Ease entry norms by Yokohoma for Indian cos
Japan is all set to do some hand-holding for Indian small and medium-sized industrial units planning to enter the Japanese market.
By Amiti Sen, TNN |
YOKOHAMA: Japan is all set to do some hand-holding for Indian small and medium-sized industrial units planning to enter the Japanese market. The government of Yokohama — the Japanese city with historical business links with India spanning over a century — and the local industry is jointly setting up a Yokohama-India centre to provide assistance to companies that want to set up shop in the region.
The services to be offered through the YIC include incubation and start-up assistance like giving out temporary office space and providing advisory services like legal and human resources consultation. The YIC is expected to be operational by the next fiscal.
Yokohama is also interested in facilitating investments from the region into India. According to Kunihiko Fujji, director of the industrial vitalisation division of the Kanagawa Prefectural government (which governs Yokohama), the region has made a three-year plan of engaging in building exchanges with India. Implementation of the plan started last fiscal.
Mr Fujji said that a business exchange meeting was organised by the government together with Jetro last November which generated a lot of interest from Japanese companies. “At the end of the fiscal, we are going to send an economic mission, including senior officials and Japanese companies, to India to have suitable exchanges,” he said, adding that he was hopeful of inviting a similar mission from India.
Explaining the idea behind the YIC, Mr Fujji said that the concept was to provide assistance for start-ups in Kanagawa and Yokohama area. “We want to provide incubator rooms to Indian companies for a particular period till they find the right location to set up their own. We would also provide guidance on how to do business in the country as the business environment here is completely different from India,” he said.
According to Yoshihiro Nishida, honorary director general, Jetro, Yokohama, the YIC would serve to cement the ties between businesses in Yokohama and India which was established over 100 years ago. Mr Nishida’s grandfather was instrumental in getting the Indian business community back to Yokohama after it had relocated to Kobe following the 1923 earthquake that devastated the city.
“Giants like TCS and Wipro (which have their operations in Yokohama) do not need help to establish a new set up. But small and medium companies do need all possible help. The idea behind the YIC is to help out such investments and businesses,” he said.
Chandru G Advani, who first came to Yokohama 54 years back after his family was forced to flee from Sindh following the creation of Pakistan, is all praise for the city. “The people in Yokohama share a relationship with Indians which goes beyond business. I have spent fruitful years doing business in the region and I think Indians would always be welcome here,” he said.
The services to be offered through the YIC include incubation and start-up assistance like giving out temporary office space and providing advisory services like legal and human resources consultation. The YIC is expected to be operational by the next fiscal.
Yokohama is also interested in facilitating investments from the region into India. According to Kunihiko Fujji, director of the industrial vitalisation division of the Kanagawa Prefectural government (which governs Yokohama), the region has made a three-year plan of engaging in building exchanges with India. Implementation of the plan started last fiscal.
Mr Fujji said that a business exchange meeting was organised by the government together with Jetro last November which generated a lot of interest from Japanese companies. “At the end of the fiscal, we are going to send an economic mission, including senior officials and Japanese companies, to India to have suitable exchanges,” he said, adding that he was hopeful of inviting a similar mission from India.
Explaining the idea behind the YIC, Mr Fujji said that the concept was to provide assistance for start-ups in Kanagawa and Yokohama area. “We want to provide incubator rooms to Indian companies for a particular period till they find the right location to set up their own. We would also provide guidance on how to do business in the country as the business environment here is completely different from India,” he said.
According to Yoshihiro Nishida, honorary director general, Jetro, Yokohama, the YIC would serve to cement the ties between businesses in Yokohama and India which was established over 100 years ago. Mr Nishida’s grandfather was instrumental in getting the Indian business community back to Yokohama after it had relocated to Kobe following the 1923 earthquake that devastated the city.
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“Giants like TCS and Wipro (which have their operations in Yokohama) do not need help to establish a new set up. But small and medium companies do need all possible help. The idea behind the YIC is to help out such investments and businesses,” he said.
Chandru G Advani, who first came to Yokohama 54 years back after his family was forced to flee from Sindh following the creation of Pakistan, is all praise for the city. “The people in Yokohama share a relationship with Indians which goes beyond business. I have spent fruitful years doing business in the region and I think Indians would always be welcome here,” he said.
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