A high-powered delegation from Gujarat led by Chief Minister Narendra Modi landed in Japan on 14th April for an eight-day visit. The members of this fifty-member delegation comprised of Chief Executives of various Indian corporations and senior officials from the state of Gujarat. The delegation visited various places including Hyogo prefecture and Hiroshima prefecture, supported by India Center as a bridge between Japan and India.

Delhi-Mumbai Freight Corridor was one of India-Center's long-term visions; We had proposed this to both countries' top policy makers, and it is now taking a shape. Moreover, our vision is not only Delhi-Mumbai Freight Corridor, but also development of the SEZ’s around the corridor, Corridor between Kolkata to Ludhiana via to Delhi, Kolkata to Chennai, and Chennai to Mumbai. We have a vision of introducing a Bullet train in the same area.

~ India Center along with other others, organized Namaste India 2006, a socio - cultural and economic festival, in Yoyogi Park, in the heart of Tokyo, which was attended by over 150,000 people with resounding success in a display of strong friendship among the masses.

~ On the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of India Center, Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, launched 'Voice Of India' (www.voiceofindia.co.jp) a news and
information portal and a key communication initiative by India Center Foundation. Voice of India is aimed at being the preferred news and information gateway for the Japanese about India.

~ In July, ND Tiwari, Chief Miniter of Uttaranchal, visited Japan and on the initiative of India Center, met with Shinzo Abe, the Chief Cabinet Secretary. India center hosted a banquet in his honor attended by policy makers and business leaders.

~ In June, Babulal Gaur, Minister of Industry and Commerce in the Madhya Pradesh Government, visited Japan. India Center arranged meetings with leading Japanese policy makers and business leaders.

~ Over 100 Japanese SME business leaders visited India under the aegis of The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). At India Center’s request the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh met with the entire delegation sending out an extremely positive message to the Japanese business community.

~ A Landmark Message from Prime Minister Koizumi to the Indian Masses was published by India Center in the Times of India.

~ Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited India in April. The mantra “Stronger India, Stronger Japan and Stronger Japan, Strong India” proposed by Vibhav Kant Upadhyay, Chairman of India Center became a part of the Joint Statement.

~ Shinzo Abe, Acting Secretary General, Liberal Democratic Party, visited India on the initiative of India Center, prior to Prime Minister Koizumi’s visit. He met with Indian Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and also called on Vasundhara Raje, the Chief Minister of Rajasthan. He also visited the Taj Mahal in Agra. A Japanese Tea ceremony was organized in his honor where he met various policy makers and business leaders.

~ An informal guideline for the development of India’s Infrastructure was signed.

~ A 36-member delegation comprising of business leaders from infrastructure, tourism and aviation met with Somnath Chatterjee, Speaker of the House, LK Advani, Leader of Opposition, and ND Tiwari, Chief Minister of Uttaranchal.

~ In July, India Center organized the first of its kind, “Indo-Japan Global Partnership Forum” in India. Key participants included, Makoto Koga, former secretary General of LDP and Toshihiro Nikai, former Minister for Industry and Transport, LDP, Kapil Sibal, Minister for Science and Technology, Praful Patel Minister of Civil Aviation, Vijay Kelkar, Advisor to the Finance Minister, and Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission.

~ The role of Japan in helping the development of India’s Infrastructure was envisioned at this platform.

~ In June, “Nidaan”, an Indian feature film that focuses on educating and creating awareness about AIDS, was screened at the Japanese Diet.

~ CEO40 Mentor Program - a Japanese study group of forty young corporate executives was addressed by Vibhav Kant Upadhyay, Chairman of India Center, and a trip to India was facilitated by India Center. Many of these young executives then decided to explore opportunities in India.

~ In November, Chihiro Kato the editor of Asahi Shimbun visited India to gain first-hand appreciation of India as an emerging economic power. The publication created a ten series special on India and met with a variety of people from the political, industrial and cultural spheres.

~ In July, Yoshimi Ishikawa, renowned author and Japanese opinion leader, visited India and met Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Deputy Prime Minister LK Advani and Defense Minister George Fernandes, to exchange opinions. He visited the Andaman & Nicobar Islands to understand the importance of the islands in Indo-Japan relations and also met with Governor NN Jha.

~ 50th Anniversary of Japan-India diplomatic relationship.

~ In November, India Center co-hosted an exchange meeting along with CII (confederation of Indian Industries) and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) in India, attended by prominent delegates from the political and business world of Japan.

~ In October Yoshiro Mori, former Japanese Prime Minister, visited India as a special emissary of Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

~ Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes visited Japan in June.

~ Naoto Kan, former leader of Opposition and Member of Parliament, Democratic party of Japan, visited Andaman & Nicobar Islands and various other places across India as part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations.

~ Through India Center’s initiative, Yukio Hatoyama, leader of Opposition, Democratic Party of Japan, visited the Assembly of Kashmir and the Indian Parliament in January, marking his protest and condemning the terrorist attacks in December 2001. He also met with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

~ In April for the first time, India Center organised the screening of Indian feature film, “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” at the Diet, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Japan-India relations among the presence of prominent policy makers and business leaders. The Prime Ministers of both countries appreciated this effort through individual messages.

~ India Center presented Nehru jackets to both the Prime Ministers during this visit as a symbolic image of thier emerging partnership.

~ India Center contributed significantly to the contents of the Global Partnership initiative, which were to be discussed during the visit of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

~ In December, Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Japan and met with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Yoshiro Mori, former Prime Minister, and Yukio Hatoyama, the leader of Opposition, Democratic Party of Japan, to take forward the Global Partnership formulated in 2000.

~ In October, former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, visited India as a special emissary to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

~ India Center organised a charity film festival in aid of Gujarat earthquake victims. Popular film “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” was screened and Indian actors Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla volunteered to be present.

~ India’s Information Technology Minister Late Pramod Mahajan visited Japan In September.

~ In October the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) was invited to Japan through the initiatives of India Center. The delegation met policy makers, business leaders and Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori as well.

~ India Center organized a successful visit of Prime Minister Mori to India. India Center also facilitated informal interactions for Prime Minister Mori with India’s policy makers, opinion leaders, and business leaders.

~ In August, Prime Minister Mori visited India, marking Japans first state visit in 10 years. The “India – Japan Global Partnership” was agreed during this visit.

~ Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes visited Japan in June.

~ Public opinion about “what India can do for Japan…” was established.

~ A unique model of economic interdependence was announced in the field of Information Technology, by India Center and Japan’s leading Human Resources Company, Pasona. Leading Japnese newspaper Asahi Shimbun, carried a prominent story on this initiative titled, “Indoji ni Tayocchao?” (“Why don’t we rely on Indians?”).

~ Yoshiro Mori becomes Prime Minister of Japan.

~ Indian Defense Minister George Fernandes visited Japan in January.

~ This marked the beginning of a new relationship between the two countries.

~ The Mission visited Hiroshima and interacted with several policy makers, opinion leaders and was also well received by then Prime Minister Late Keizo Obuchi. India Center conceived and organized this Mission to its success.

~ At the height of sanctions, India Center invited a “Goodwill Mission”, consisting of prominent policy-makers, businessmen and media personnel from India to visit Japan to discuss with their counterparts the importance of bilateral relations and India’s Nuclear stance.

~ Indian External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh visited Japan in November.

~ India Center continued it strive to CHANGE the perception of the Japanese community towards India.

~ At the behest of India Center, the Tokyo Fantastic Film Festival designated November 3 (Japan’s Culture Day) as “Indian Movie Day.” India Center screened “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge” at this gathering. Leading Bollywood actress Kajol, was invited to the festival. This ignited the boom of Indian cinema in Japan resulting in increased cultural awareness about India.

~ Inspite of severe sanctions, India Center continued courageously to create an awareness revolution about India by promoting Indian cinema.

~ Japan decided to impose severe economic sanctions on India causing a setback in bilateral relations.

~ India exercised its nuclear option and conducted tests at Pokhran on May 13, 1998.

~ Japan participated as partner country in the International Expo organized by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).

~ Japanese Foreign Minister Yukihiko Ikeda visited India.

~ India Center believed that the key to stronger Indo-Japan friendship lay in effective mass communication between the people of both nations

~ Japan participated as a partner country in the International Expo organized by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).

~ Japanese Foreign Minister Yukihiko Ikeda visited India.

~ India Center was announced on July 2 at a public gathering in Tokyo.

~ Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram visited Japan.