Like Hamamatsu, Assam too can breed entrepreneurs like Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki
NEW DELHI: Hamamatsu City in Japan produced entrepreneurs like HONDA Soichiro of Honda Group, SUZUKI Michio of SUZUKI Motor Corporation, and YAMAHA Torakusu of YAMAHA Company.
Assam, the north-eastern state of India that strikes similarity with Hamamatsu city for its beautiful mountains, silk, and tea orchards can produce some great entrepreneurs as well.
This was said by SUZUKI Satoshi, Ambassador of Japan to India during his visit to Assam on Monday.
“Last March, I had a chance to visit IIT Guwahati. Listening to earnest explanations by young and devoted scholars, I felt a similar potential existing in this State and was filled with hope. I felt encouraged, not only by the similar natural and social environment with my hometown but by the power of youths full of possibilities and the environment to nurture them,” he said.
While expressing his personal opinion, the Japan Ambassador correlated Assam with Hamamatsu City, his hometown.
“I feel at home here in Assam as its beautiful scenery reminds me of where I come from. My hometown is in the northern part of the Hamamatsu City of Shizuoka Prefecture. It is a town surrounded by mountains and beautiful nature like here, once prospered with forestry, in particular cedar woods.”
Ambassador SUZUKI Satoshi made the speech titled “Why does Japan support the State of Assam and North East?” in the presence of Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, Chief Minister of Assam, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Finance Minister of Assam, and Baijayant “Jay” Panda, National Vice-President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Guwahati, the capital city of Assam on February 15.
The Ambassador said that before the war, there existed Japan’s largest silk cocoon market. Assam is also famous for its fabulous Muga silk. And Shizuoka Prefecture boasts its flagrant green tea; so does Assam its renowned tea. Apart from the primary industry, my hometown bred a host of entrepreneurs, who were instrumental for the post-war economic development of Japan.
“Near my house, there is a house where HONDA Soichiro was born. HONDA started his business with motorcycles. Honda Super Cab swept over Japan with its popularity and is still immensely popular in many Asian countries. HONDA has evolved into a big company which manufactures not only motorcycles and automobiles but also robots and private jets now,” he added.
In the southern part of Hamamatsu City, SUZUKI Michio was born. He is the founder of SUZUKI Motor Corporation and the Grand Father-in-law of Suzuki Osamu, the incumbent Chairman of Suzuki Motor. SUZUKI first invented automated looms, and then expanded his business to motorcycles and automobiles.
“You could say that my hometown is where the popular Maruti Suzuki cars can trace their origins. It is also Hamamatsu City, where YAMAHA Torakusu started the YAMAHA Company, first in the business of maintenance of organs, musical instrument. YAMAHA has now grown into a company producing motorcycles, agricultural machinery, and musical instruments.”
TOYODA Sakichi, the founder of Toyota Motors, is from a city next to Hamamatsu City. They are the early entrepreneurs who led the post-war economic miracle of Japan and established the “Japan brand” highly recognized across the world.
“It is no accident that Maruti Suzuki established a Japan Endowed Course (JEC) in IIT Guwahati. This JEC materialized out of the passion of Chairman SUZUKI Osamu who wants to return his gratefulness to India by helping the Indian youths to acquire skills as Suzuki Motor Company celebrated its centennial anniversary last year. I would also like to add here that Gifu University in Japan has started a joint Master’s program with IIT Guwahati in food science since 2019. Currently, four students from IIT Guwahati are enrolled in this program. I am sure such collaboration will create a new ecosystem of entrepreneurship in Assam,” disclosed SUZUKI Satoshi.
Ambassador Suzuki visited Assam in follow up of the Act East Forum (AEF) summit held on January 28. The AEF was established in 2017 when Dr. Jaishankar served as Foreign Secretary. Currently, Ambassador Suzuki and Foreign Secretary Shringla are co-chairing this important forum on the development of the North East.
