Issue 10 (October 2020) EMBASSY OF INDIA, TOKYO Embassy of India Tokyo Newsletter Message from the Ambassador H. E. "The Indian Connection" Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma India On the Move I am pleased to bring forth this edi- World‟s longest Highway tunnel – Atal Tunnel inaugurated tion of the newslet- On 3rd October 2020, Prime Minister Shri Nar- ter of the Indian endra Modi dedicated to the nation the World’s Embassy „The In- longest Highway tunnel – Atal Tunnel. The dian Connection‟ . 9.02 Km long tunnel connects Manali to Lahaul -Spiti valley throughout the year. Earlier the This edition brings valley was cut off for about 6 months each year you stories of grow- owing to heavy snowfall. Atal Tunnel is going ing India as well as to be a lifeline for a large part of Himachal initiatives of the In- Pradesh as well as the new Union Territory of dian Government Leh-Ladakh and would reduce the distance be- and resulting suc- tween Manali and Keylong by 3-4 hours. cess stories besides stories of India- Tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal Japan. range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 Mtrs (10,000 Feet) from the Mean Sea Level (MSL). It has state of the art electromechanical systems including semi transverse ventilation, SCADA controlled fire fighting, illumination and monitoring systems. The Tunnel has ample safety features built into it. I do want to think in terms of the Atal Tunnel is also going to give new strength to India's border in- whole world. My patriotism in- cludes the good frastructure and would be a living proof of world-class border con- of mankind in general. Therefore, nectivity. my service to India includes the service of humanity. 3rd Assembly of International Solar Alliance ISA) Assembly saw participation of 53 Member & 5 Signatory & Prospective Member MAHATAMA GANDHI countries. Inside this issue: ISA Solar Awards were conferred for 1st time. Japan’s ad- vanced, state-of-the-art technology of Floating Solar Energy India on the Move 1 Projects & its efforts towards achieving a low carbon future was conferred with Bharat Ratna M. Visvesvaraya Award. There was setting up of ISACARES for deployment of solar energy in healthcare Science & Technology 4 sector in ISA's LDC/SIDS Members. India & France re-elected as the President and Co-President of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) respectively, for a term of two years. The India & Japan 6 Details : https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1664423 Stories Welcome to Aero India 2021, a runway to a billion oppor- tunities. India is surging towards Self-reliance in Defence India In Japan 8 Production. Come, explore opportunities in Defence & Aero- space sector. From 03-07 Feburary 20201 at Air Force Sta- tion, Yelahanka, Bengaluru. Cultural & AYURVEDA 14 More details at official website https:// www.aeroindia.gov.in/ Issue 10 (October Embassy of India Tokyo Newsletter "The Indian Connection" Page 2 India approved ‘Natural Gas Marketing Reforms’ a move towards gas based economy On 7th October 2020, Union Cabinet approved ‘Natural Gas Marketing Reforms’, taking another significant step to move towards gas based economy. The objective of the policy is to prescribe standard procedure to discover market price of gas to be sold in the market by gas producers, through a transparent and competitive process, permit Affiliates to participate in bidding proc- ess for sale of gas and allow marketing freedom to certain Field Development Plans (FDPs) where Production Sharing Contracts already provide pricing freedom. These reforms will build on a series of transformative reforms rolled out by the Government in last several years. De- tails : https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1662325 India's 1st multi-modal (air, road, rail, waterways) logistics park in Assam On October 22, 2020, foundation stone was laid down on 20 October 2020. It will be developed under INS Kavaratti (P31), the indigenously the ambitious Bharatmala Pariyojana of the Government of India. With reduc- designed & constructed Anti- tion in logistic cost and bringing global opportunities project will become a Submarine Warfare (ASW) stealth milestone in economic & social development of North East region of India. corvette built under Project 28 (Kamorta Class) was commissioned India envisages developing 35 Multi-modal Logistic Parks (MMLPs), of which into the Indian Navy. The corvette work on preparing DPR and feasibility report is underway. has been indigenously designed by the Indian Navy’s in-house organisa- tion, Directorate of Naval Design and Details : https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1666089 constructed by Garden Reach Ship- builders & Engineers Limited, Kolkata On 2nd October 2020, Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi led interaction (GRSE), Kolkata. Details : https:// with scientists of Indian origin globally in Vaishwik Bhartiya Vaigyanik pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx? (VAIBHAV) Summit 2020. They appreciated initiatives taken by GoI & pre- PRID=1666771 sented views to promote robust innovation culture in collabortation with scien- tists elsewhere. Dr Swadhin K Behera participated from Japan. During the inaugural address PM Modi thanked Scientists who offered their suggestions & ideas on the event. PM acknowledged that during the interaction most of the scientists highlighted impor- tance of greater collaboration btw Indian Academic & Research ecosystem with their foreign counterparts. Text of PM address at VAIBHAV Summit 2020 is at link https://pib.gov.in/ PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1661163l 8 Indian beaches gets International Blue Flag Certification On October 11, 2020, 8 of India’s serene beaches get the prestigious Blue Flag Certification by The Foundation of Environ- ment Education, FEE Denmark (FEE). This showcases the importance India attaches to protecting such spots and furthering sustainable development. This is also a global recognition of India’s conservation and sustainable development efforts. These 08 beaches are : Shivrajpur(Dwarka-Gujarat) , Ghoghla (Diu) , Kasarkod & Padubidri(Karnataka) , Kappad (Kerala) , Rushikonda (AP), Golden Beach(Odisha) , Radhanagar (A&N Islands). More details : https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1663535 Issue 10 (October Embassy of India Tokyo Newsletter "The Indian Connection" Page 3 Excerpts from Sardar Patel Memorial Lecture-2020 by EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar : India & Post-Covid World Covid-19 pandemic has been the most devastating global event in living memory for most of us. Its cumulative im- pact, in terms of lives and livelihood lost, is truly hard to quantify. Because we are more developed and inter- connected now, its implications for quality of life have been very profound. Seventy-five years ago, both the world and India were in the midst of a different kind of turbulence, one no less in its seriousness. The Second World War had just ended, comprehensively overturning the global order. New centres of dominance emerged with very different interests and outlook. Even before Covid-19 engulfed the world, it was apparent that the international system we had got used to was un- der great stress. Its causes were multiple and complex, and they enhanced each other. A set of issues centred around disenchantment with a globalization that created unequal gains within societies and among them. A second phenomenon, one more extended in its time frame, was the rebalancing of the global economy and thereafter, of world politics. The combination of these two created a third set of challenges for the established global architec- ture – a radical change in the weightage of world powers, along with an accompanying behavioural shift of domi- nant ones. To add to all these is a transformation of the metrics of power in an era of higher technology reliance and greater inter-dependence. Political influence became less dependent on raw military strength and increasingly shifted to utilizing instruments like finance, trade, connectivity, data and technology. The cumulative effect of these multiple happenings is visible today in more players, contested rules, conflicting agendas and sharper dis- putes. The Covid-19 pandemic could well be the last straw on the back of a fraying global consensus. While there is much to be done at home, it is also true that this cannot be divorced from global happenings. World is, at the very least, a shaper of domestic developments; and at times, even a driver in certain respect. To give practical effect to an agenda of recovery, resilience, and reform, it is necessary to fashion a strategy at multiple levels. In approaching foreign partners, we need to accurately assess their complementarity, before reaching un- derstandings. There can always be a case for flexibility and even generosity towards friendly neighbours. But as a rule, reciprocity and mutual benefit must guide our thinking. That past experiences have not always worked well, however, does not make the argument for engaging the world weaker. On the contrary, post-Covid recovery neces- sitates both a stronger international collaboration at home and a larger economic participation abroad. Assessing opportunities must be supported by improving methods of doing business. Trust and resilience are two character- istics that will command a premium in the post-Covid times. The pandemic came when global suspicions were al- ready rising and trade frictions were well advanced. The behaviour of states during this period only further high- lighted the value of more dependable supply chains. As India rose steadily in a changing world, a key element of that journey was its expanding ties with major power centres. In virtually every case, the content of its ties grew substantially, whether weighed in terms of politics, se- curity, economy, technology or community. Some nations were more openly supportive of India’s rise; others took nuanced positions. The extent of convergence also inevitably varied, not just by the partner but on occasion, even by geography. While each was naturally unique, what they shared was a common realization of global multi- polarity and inter-dependence.