CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Government has offered to help open an industrial township for Japanese firms interested in setting up units in the State.

Chief Secretary L.K. Tripathy said Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi made the offer when he met the visiting economic mission from the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) on Friday evening.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting between the mission and business leaders, organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), on Saturday, Mr. Tripathy said such a township would provide Japanese firms with a comfortable environment to do business.

The Japanese visitors welcomed the offer.

Nobuo Yamaguchi, chairman of the JCCI, told The Hindu that a township could go far to help Japanese firms, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which were unaccustomed to Indian cultural and business practices.

He said the next step would be to take the project to a Japanese trading company. He pointed to the township Mitsui and Co was attempting to set up near Delhi as an example.

Bilateral trade

Small and medium enterprises would be key to reviving bilateral trade, which had stagnated over the last decade, especially in comparison with the Sino-Japanese trade.

Hiroshige Nishizawa, Chairman, Tokyo Tomin Bank, and a key member of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, suggested that the Tamil Nadu Government launch an innovative rent-a-factory scheme for Japanese SMEs.

"The availability of a rental plant with complete hardware will promote speedy partnership with SMEs... so they don't have to get into land acquisition or construction immediately." The same SMEs would be keen on building their own plants after they tasted success at a rental facility.

Mr Tripathy said the suggestion would be considered.

Mr. Nishizawa also stressed the importance of trade fairs, a one-stop window for licences and permits, and a free entry and exit policy to attract Japanese SMEs.

"Springboard"

Mr. Yamaguchi hoped Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's planned visit to Japan later this year would be a "springboard" for bilateral relations and trade. The Japanese also hoped to see more progress on an Economic Partnership Agreement between the two countries during that visit.

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