the bullet train project +

the project will be a huge boost for the 'Make in India' goal +

the bullet train project +

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi saidhe and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe laid the foundation stone for on Thursday "will add speed to India's growth", "shorten the distance between people and places" and "increase productivity thanks to high speed connectivity".Both Abe and Modi said after they laid the foundation stone for the high speed rail between Ahmedabad and Mumbai that, something both India and Japan are committed to.The two leaders traded fulsome compliments, committed to retain, renew and grow their friendship and make the India-Japan partnership a globally strategic and relevant one."This project exemplifies a new India and is an expression of its dreams, its flight is limitless, its aspirations infinite, it's an India that is flying high," said PM Modi after the foundation stone laying ceremony in Ahmedabad.Abe was equally enthusiastic about the project."I hope to enjoy the beauty of India through the windows of the bullet train when I come to India in a few years," said Japan's PM.PM Modi effusively thanked Abe and Japan."A good friend is timeless and sees no borders. Japan has shown it is this kind of friend. We are able to get this project off the ground so quickly and the credit for that goes to Abe, he took a personal interest in it to ensure there are no delays or difficulties," said Modi.He added that Japan is the kind of friend who "gave a loan of Rs 88,000 crore on an interest of only 0.1%" for the project.Abe repeated how important India is as a partner for Japan."If we work together nothing is impossible. I would like to state that India-Japan partnership is special, strategic and global," he said.PM Modi said that apart from economic and cultural growth,will boost the 'Make in India' platform."For this high speed rail project, the technology may well be coming from Japan, but the moving parts, the manufacturing will all be from India," he said.Abe said Japan is in fact making a special commitment to give manufacturing a boost in India."Japan is committed to the scheme of 'Make in India'. Our industries are working with India to give a boost to manufacturing in India," said Abe.Both leaders earlier also laid the foundation stone for an institute that will come up at Vadodara where around 4,000 people will be trained for the bullet train project. Railway minister Piyush Goyal , Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis were present on the occasion.The Rs 1.10 lakh crore train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is expected to be completed by 2022. The train will cover the distance of over 500 km in around two hours. The project is a joint venture between Indian Railways and Japan's Shinkansen Technology.