India, Japan ink MoUs in fields of space, skill development and agriculture

Tokyo [Japan], Nov. 11 (ANI): India and Japan on Friday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of outer space, which would enable cooperation in satellite navigation, planetary exploration and space industry promotion, joint missions and studies. The MoU also provides for the establishment of a Joint Working Group (JWG) and signing of Implementing Arrangements to carry out specific cooperative projects. Apart from that, a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was also signed between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship of India and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan on the Manufacturing Skill Transfer Promotion Program. Under this, around 30,000 Indian youth would be trained in the Japanese styled manufacturing in the next 10 years. This would be achieved through the programmes of Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing (JIM) and the Japanese Endowed Courses (JEC) in select engineering colleges. Japanese companies would be encouraged to set-up JIM by utilizing their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund while the JEC would be supported by Government of Japan through technical experts. Programmes under this MoC would contribute to 'Make in India' and 'Skill India'. India's Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) agreed on a mutual collaboration in the field of Marine and Earth Science and Technology. It aims to promote cooperation in the areas of joint survey and research, exchange of scientific visits by researchers and experts, joint scientific seminars and workshops, exchange of information, data and studied results and any other mutually agreed forms of cooperation. A MoC between India's Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan was inked in the field of agriculture and food related industry. It was signed to deepen the bilateral cooperation in the fields of agriculture and food industries that includes food value chain networking and protecting Geographical Indication (GI) of agriculture products. MOU was also signed between the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) Ltd. and Japan Overseas Infrastructure Investment Corporation for Transport and Urban Development to enable cooperation and promoting investment in infrastructure projects in railways and transportation. (ANI)