Here are the live updates of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's Gujarat visit:
PM @narendramodi being seen-off by Gujarat Governor Shri O. P. Kohli and CM @vijayrupanibjp as he departs from Ahmedabad pic.twitter.com/T4urbkWt90
- PIB India (@PIB_India) September 14, 2017
Presented the book, '#MannKiBaat- A Social Revolution on Radio' to PM @AbeShinzo, whose message also appears in the book. pic.twitter.com/TMmr1uVlx0
- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 14, 2017
With Indian and Japanese business leaders. We had a good interaction & discussed ways to increase economic cooperation between our nations. pic.twitter.com/PhNZZN1dgX
- Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 14, 2017
The 508 km high-speed rail link to Mumbai is seen as a centrepiece of PM Modi's efforts to demonstrate India's capability to build high-tech projects.
I congratulate PM @narendramodi & Japanese PM @AbeShinzo for laying the foundation stone of path breaking Bullet Train project in Ahmedabad. pic.twitter.com/JcSiGWbND1
- Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 14, 2017
Critics who earlier dismissed the bullet train as "big talk" are now asking what use it is, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi today after inaugurating work on India's first bullet train in collaboration with Japan, whose Prime Minister Shinzo Abe jointly launched the project in Gujarat's Ahmedabad."
Train lifeline of #NewIndia: PM @narendramodi in joint statement with Japanese PM @AbeShinzo #BulletTrain https://t.co/hMlRpgrUU6 pic.twitter.com/a2iC339MmF
- NDTV (@ndtv) September 14, 2017
A strong synergy for peace & prosperity
- Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 14, 2017
Ahead of bilateral talks, PM @narendramodi welcomes PM @AbeShinzo at Mahatma Mandir#SwagatShinzoSan pic.twitter.com/o1yWWuC7oq
The two leaders laid the foundation stone for the project at the Sabarmati station. He spoke in Japanese but began with "Namaskar" and ended his speech with a "Dhanyawad." Japan PM Shinzo Abe says Indo-Japan partnership is special, strategic and global.
Historic moment, says PM @narendramodi on #BulletTrain project launch
- NDTV (@ndtv) September 14, 2017
LIVE updates: https://t.co/Wt8XWDww7V pic.twitter.com/iqvGA7JUwN
Japanese PM @AbeShinzo at Mumbai-Ahmedabad #BulletTrain launch
- NDTV (@ndtv) September 14, 2017
LIVE updates: https://t.co/Wt8XWDeVgn pic.twitter.com/73YFfjDMjJ
This is not only foundation laying event for #BulletTrain, but also for 'New India': @Dev_Fadnavis in Ahmedabad https://t.co/hMlRpgak2y pic.twitter.com/EBXxYD2stW
- NDTV (@ndtv) September 14, 2017
Narendra Modi and Shinzo Abe will hold summit meetings after the function.
PM @narendramodi and PM of Japan @AbeShinzo visit the exhibition on India's first High Speed Rail project. #BulletTrain4Growth pic.twitter.com/LQfG6QpAwG
- BJP (@BJP4India) September 14, 2017
The Congress raised questions over Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's state visit to Ahmedabad and not the country's national capital and hoped it would not be used for political purposes in view of the forthcoming Gujarat assembly elections.
A joint venture between the Indian Railways and the Japanese firm Shinkansen Technology, the Japanese side estimates the first bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad will roll out only by 2023. Railways Minister Piyush Goyal says PM Modi wants the train to start a year ahead of schedule - on 15 August 2022 - when India completes 75 years of independence.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe changed into an Indian-style kurta-pyjama and Nehru jacket on Wedneday before going on a roadshow with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The two leaders had got into an open-top Gypsy decorated with flowers for the 9-km roadshow. Along the route, 28 huge stages were built on which schoolchildren held performances highlighting India's varied culture.