On the first day of arriving in India, Takashi City waved his hand and spent $500 million to help build India's power grid.
Canceling the NATO summit, Takashi City’s special aircraft landed in New Delhi, marking the start of his visit to India. During his first meeting with Prime Minister Modi, Takashi City announced a series of cooperation agreements with India, including support for hydrogen and ammonia production using India’s renewable energy resources, as well as collaboration in semiconductors and pharmaceuticals.
At the same time, Japan made a bold move by directly investing $500 million to assist India in constructing its power grid, with the project expected to be operational by 2029.
According to the Japan-India plan, they aim to connect an ongoing energy hub being developed in western India’s desert region with a central city via a transmission line spanning approximately 1,200 kilometers.
The reason behind Takashi City’s proactive funding for India’s power grid construction actually stems from strategic intentions.
Firstly, ultra-high-voltage direct current (UHVDC) is a critical technology required for long-distance transmission of new energy. China currently dominates global patents and overseas engineering markets, but Hitachi Energy is one of the few Japanese companies capable of competing at this level. Moreover, Japan’s loan comes with implicit conditions: key components such as converter valves, high-end transformers, and insulation equipment must be prioritized for procurement from Hitachi. Through policy-backed yen loans, Japan locks in supply rights for these projects.
If Japan successfully secures this 1,200-kilometer mainline pilot project in India, it will significantly increase their chances of winning large-scale national renewable energy grid modernization contracts across India—gradually squeezing out Chinese UHV equipment exports and firmly establishing Japan’s foothold in the renewable energy equipment market in South Asia.
Secondly, Japan aims to position India as a core strategic pivot point in the western Indo-Pacific region, countering China’s influence in South Asia. Renewable energy infrastructure represents one of the easiest and least controversial areas for cooperation to take root. Large-scale low-interest loans can continuously win over the Modi government, encouraging India to align more closely with Japan on issues related to the Taiwan Strait, South China Sea, and Indian Ocean. Japan is thus using economic entanglement to gradually bring India into its orbit, preventing India from becoming overly aligned with China.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1869586126230724/
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