Act East Forum gets push with upcoming summit

09 Dec 2019 Editorial Team

Reportedly, as a boost to India’s ‘Act East Policy’ and Japan’s ‘Free and Open Indo Pacific Strategy’, the first annual Indo-Japan summit will be held from December 15 to December 16. The gathering of the two nations is expected to set the ball rolling on their Act East forum given that Japan is planning investments of around Rs 130 billion in the eight North Eastern states of India.

It is reported that Japan is currently weighing investments towards numerous projects in the region, including – a water supply project in Guwahati, a road network in Assam-Meghalaya and forest management and agriculture projects in other states of the region. It is estimated that new plans and blueprints will be announced at the upcoming summit for more projects in the area – given its close proximity to Southeast Asia.

Recently, on November 30, the two countries participated in a dialogue where the respective defence and foreign ministers underlined various points of discussion – top of which is reported to be Japan’s involvement in the North East region of India.

Reportedly, Japan’s involvement in providing aid for developing North East began in 2011 with the overseas development assistance (ODA) but actually picked up post 2014.

Additionally, as reported, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed a memorandum with the Indian Government in 2017 with the aim of providing $610 million for the first phase of the North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project for projects in Meghalaya and Mizoram. The Act East Forum was established subsequently with the purpose of economic enhancement in the region.

Real Estate

07 Aug 2026

BXB Estates Sets AED 110 Million Jumeirah Golf Estates Record

BXB Estates has completed an AED 110 million residential transaction at Jumeirah Golf Estates, setting a new sales record for the prestigious Dubai residential community.Negotiated by Alfie Tabrez, Managing Partner of BXB Estates, the deal surpassed the previous record of AED 58 million for a completed ready villa in the development.The six-bedroom residence offers 21,714 sq ft of built-up space on a 15,873-sq-ft plot. It features nine bathrooms, four living lounges, a home office, bar lounge, private cinema and rooftop terrace.The property also includes a dedicated wellness area comprising a ..

SECR Floats Rs 6,019 Mn EPC Tender For Paradol Nagpur Link

South East Central Railway (SECR) has invited bids for an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract to build a new broad gauge single line between Paradol Takeoff Point and Nagpur Road Station in Chhattisgarh. The contract carries an estimated cost of Rs 6,019.0 mn and requires an earnest money deposit of Rs 120.4 mn. The work is framed as an EPC assignment intended to strengthen regional rail infrastructure. The tender, issued under number CAO-C-BSP-26-27-15, specifies a completion period of 730 days and a bid validity of 180 days. Two pre-bid meetings are scheduled for 24 Augu..

Indian Railways Reports Nine Per Cent Rise In July Freight Loading

Indian Railways handled 141.3 million tonnes (141.3 mn t) of freight in July, marking a rise of nine per cent year on year. Freight loading maintained a positive trajectory across the network compared with the same month last year. Passenger traffic also increased in July, contributing to higher overall network utilisation. The July outcome continued a pattern of steady monthly gains, reflecting gradual improvement in industrial and logistics activity. The growth in freight volumes reflected stronger demand across multiple sectors and improvements in logistics and train turnarounds. Enhanced r..