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Fifth edition of the India-Japan Intellectual Conclave titled “Kizuna”: Co-Creating Ecosystems for Change: Technology, Education, Logistics that the Asian Confluence is organizing at Guwahati on February 6-7, 2025. The event is being held in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan, New Delhi and the Ministry of External Affairs, PP&R Division.
The dialogue will bring experts, policymakers and stakeholders from Japan, India, and the neighborhood together to promote conversation and collaboration for multilevel, and multidimensional institutional and people-to-people connectivity in the Bay of Bengal region.
Asian Confluence has been organizing the North East India - Japan Intellectual Conclave since 2021. Named “Kizuna” meaning “deep heart to heart communication”, the objective of the initiative has been to put the spotlight on collaboration projects between India and Japan in North East India: highlighting achievements, scoping opportunities, and addressing challenges. Garnering inputs from industry, academia and policymaker in India, Japan as well as the immediate neighbourhood, the conclaves held so far has been able to collate a rich set of recommendations.
The aim of the process has been to continually create a community of champions on the ground spanning industry, government and academia as well as nurture new ideas for the future. All the past four conclaves have had senior level participation (Foreign Secretary, Minister level) from the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ambassador of Japan, Japanese and Indian industry and the state governments.
As an output of the four conclaves held so far, and considering all the recent
developments in the Bay of Bengal Neighbourhood of India’s North east, the fifth conclave aims to focus on the theme of “Co-Creating Ecosystems for Change” for a more stable and prosperous Bay of Bengal Region. In this context three areas of cooperation are identified :
Semi-conductor and Hi Tech
In light of the recent move by the Tata’s to set up a semiconductor assembly plant in Assam, there is enormous potential for an ecosystem of services around the semiconductor assembly and design industry. Japanese and Indian industry can collaborate to build such an ecosystem which taps into the strengths of the region.
Education and People to People contact
Increasing people to people contact and institutional collaborations between various segments of population between India and Japan by curating special programs and exchanges among small business owners, youth, cultural groups, special history interest groups, tourism operators, startup companies can go a long way towards increasing familiarity of the region amongst the Japanese. The need of the hour is to create an infrastructure of human networks to support SMEs in Japan to interact with the region. The experience of graduates of the programs such as TITP (ESD) /SSW, JENSYS and JET program should be complemented with on ground institutions to foster such a network. Overall a new strategy is needed to address the task of people to people contact between India and Japan and specially the NER region to take a quantum leap.
Logistics
The logistics sector is another important area which can be built as part of an ecosystem of change. With seamless air and rail connectivity from the region in place, there is ample scope for large and medium logistics companies in India and Japan to tie up with small and medium scale entrepreneurs from the region to create a logistics ecosystems.
"The conclave ties the Indian government's plan to upgrade and bring the NER into mainstream with the business possibilities that exist here for domestic/global players. Given the deep connection with the NER, Japan is the catalyst to bind this together". Mentioned, Ajay Sethi, Managing Partner, Baker Tilly ASA India and Member Governing Council, Asian Confluence.
Video: Fourth edition of the India-Japan Intellectual Conclave
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