Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Japan tour, to visit Maruti Suzuki headquarters

AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today left for a four-day official tour of Japan.

"Leaving for a four-day visit to Japan. Looking forward to visiting the land of the rising sun," Modi said on twitter.

The Gujarat Chief Minister is scheduled to meet Japan's Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and top trade and industry officials.

Setting up of Ahmedabad-Mumbai-Pune bullet train, Ahmedabad-Dholera metro, and two Japanese industrial estates in Gujarat figured on Modi's agenda, official sources said.

He would be also meeting top officials of Maruti Suzuki Corporation at its headquarters in Hamamatsu.

Modi's visit to Japan comes at a time when Maruti Suzuki India has announced a lock-out at its plant at Manesar in Haryana following violence on the premises.

The delegation led by Modi is not likely to invite Maruti to expand the production capacity in Gujarat, but if the company decided so on its own, it would be welcome, sources added.

There was some speculation that Modi might invite the car major to expand the production capacity in Gujarat from the proposed 2,50,000 units per year.

Maruti Suzuki has proposed to invest Rs 4,000 crore in a greenfield plant near Becharaji in Mehasna district of Gujarat.

A delegation of representatives of state industry is accompanying Modi.