JICA Cooperation to Develop State-of-the-Art Training Institute for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project
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L-R - Mr. Takema Sakamoto, Chief Representative, JICA India Office, Mr. Kazuhiko Koshikawa, Executive Senior Vice President, JICA Head Office and Mr. S. Selvakumar, Joint Secretary , Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) at the Loan Agreement Signing of Training Institute for Training Institute for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project |
by Shrutee K/DNS
Mumbai, September, 2017: Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed an agreement with the Government of India to provide Official Development Assistance (ODA) Loan of 10,453 million Japanese yen (approximately INR 600 crore) for the development of a first-of-its-kind Training Institute at Vadodara, Gujarat, for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project. The ODA loan conditions are very concessional, i.e. 0.1% interest rate for both project activities and consulting services, and 50 years of repayment period (including 15 years of grace period). The institute will assist smooth set-up and safe operations of the MAHSR in India. The institute is being developed to generate efficient workforce, equipped with high level knowledge of the technology and operations of high speed railways.
The ODA loan agreement was signed between Mr. Takema Sakamoto, Chief Representative, JICA India Officeand Mr. S. Selvakumar, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Takema Sakamoto, Chief Representative, JICA India Office said, The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Railway is being implemented on the lines of Japanese bullet train Shinkansen system. With the introduction of Shinkansen in India, safe, timely, and reliable operation is expected to play a crucial role for socio-economic revolution for India. Further it is expected that economies of western coasts of Gujarat and Maharashtra would be boosted. The institute will play a pivotal role in securing the human resources to operate and maintain the MAHSR, becoming the hub of knowledge, technology as well as skilled engineers and operators who are at the core of excellent service quality.
The state-of-the-art building and facilities are expected to include the Administration & Training Building, Hostel and Training Facilities and Equipment. The trainees will be imparted knowledge of new Japanese technologies which will be implemented in the MAHSR and these trainers will be the pioneers of high speed railway technology education in India. Facilities and equipment that will enable the trainees to learn the mechanisms related to non-ballast track system (slab track), electric power, signals and communications etc.
Among the several high speed rail corridors planned and announced by the Government of India, the MAHSR is the first sanctioned project connecting the capital cities of Maharashtra and Gujarat. According to the Joint Feasibility Study on MAHSR, also conducted by JICA on the Japanese side, the travel demand is expected to further increase due to availability of a faster transport system.The reduction of the travel times between these cities would improve the mobility, increase interaction between people and expand the regional exchange of knowledge and professional services, thereby increasing opportunities for both cultural and consumer activities. Also, it would promote development of the areas around stations. For MAHSR, JICA has been supporting the project through follow-up studies, grant assistance for GC, training courses in Japan for the staff of MHSRCL and so on.
Since 1998-99, JICA has provided an assistance of 31 billion Japanese Yen, approximately INR 1,800 crore, (ODA Loan: 23 billion Japanese Yen, Grant Aid: 7.8 billion Japanese Yen) for the human resource development in India. JICA is also focusing on the development of facilities for higher education and development of human resources to propel the manufacturing sector in India. JICA has been extending ODA loan and Technical Cooperation synergistically for development of Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad (IITH) as a hub of academic and industrial collaboration between India and Japan. JICA visionary Leaders for Manufacturing (VLFM) Project's implemented from 2007 to 2013 and succeeding champions for Societal Manufacturing (CSM) Project's has aimed at creating visionary leaders in the manufacturing sector in India.
About JICA
Established, by a specific law, as an independent administrative institution under the Government of Japan, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) aims to contribute to the promotion of international cooperation, as a sole Japanese governmental agency in charge of ODA implementation. JICA is the world's largest bilateral donor agency. JICA works as a bridge between Japan and emerging countries, and provides assistance in forms of loan, grant and technical cooperation so that the emerging countries can strengthen their capabilities.
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