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India on Friday responded to criticism over delays in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project after a former Japanese minister blamed Indian officials for the slow progress. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that discussions between India and Japan on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project are progressing well.
India Hits Back At Criticism
During a weekly briefing, Jaiswal asserted that both countries remain committed to completing the project and starting operations as soon as possible. He said Japan will provide the E-20 train series in the early 2030s, as the train is still under development. Meanwhile, construction work on the corridor has moved ahead quickly. He added that the first section of the bullet train project will open in 2027, and both sides have agreed to begin operations with an Indian high-speed train.
MEA Says Project On Track
“India-Japan discussions on Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train are in fact progressing well. Japan will provide the E-20 train series but only in the early 2030s. The train in question is still under development. Meanwhile, construction work has rapidly progressed. The first section will be opened in 2027 itself,” Jaiswal said.
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He added, “Therefore, both sides agreed to start operations with the Indian high-speed train. Signalling equipment has been ordered accordingly and is in line with international specifications. No Japanese offer was received in this context. The project execution is in line with the common goal of starting the high-speed train project at the earliest.”
Former Japan Minister Accuses India
Jaiswal’s response came after former Japanese Justice Minister Hideki Makihara’s remarks on the project sparked a debate. In a post on X, Makihara accused Indian officials of not following earlier commitments and prioritising “self-interest” during negotiations related to the Japanese Shinkansen technology. He wrote that the lack of progress in India’s first high-speed rail corridor was due to repeated failures to honour agreements.
“The Shinkansen project in India is something I was involved with myself, but what stood out in international meetings and negotiations was the sheer recklessness of the Indian side, repeated over and over. They just don't keep promises, no matter what. Even if they make a promise, they flip it right away. They keep pushing their own self-interest right up to the very end. The minister in charge was especially awful—if the top guy's like that, there's no way to have any decent dealings,” the former Japanese Minister wrote on X.