Japan has committed an Official Development Assistance loan amounting to Japanese Yen (JPY)232.209 billion for nine projects in various sectors in India.

The notes were exchanged on Tuesday between Vikas Sheel, additional secretary, Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance and Japanese Ambassador Suzuki Hiroshi.

The nine projects are:

· The North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project (Phase 3) (Tranche II): Dhubri-Phulbari bridge (JPY 34.54 billion);
· The North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project (Phase 7): NH 127B (Phulbari-Goeragre section) (JPY 15.56 billion);
· The Project for Promoting Start-up and Innovation in Telangana (JPY 23.7 billion);
· The Project for the Construction of Chennai Peripheral Ring Road (Phase 2) (JPY 49.85 billion);
· The Project for Promoting Sustainable Horticulture in Haryana (Tranche I) (JPY 16.21 billion);
· The Project for Climate Change Response and ecosystem Services Enhancement in Rajasthan (JPY 26.13 billion);
· The Project for the Establishment of the Medical College Hospital at Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Kohima (JPY 10 billion);
· The Project for the Improvement of Urban Water Supply System in Uttarakhand (JPY 16.21 billion); and
· The Dedicated Freight Corridor Project (Phase 1) (Tranche V) (JPY 40 billion).

The road network connectivity projects aim to improve infrastructure development in India’s North East region, while the Chennai peripheral ring road project aims to alleviate traffic congestion and strengthen connections to the southern part of the state. The project in Nagaland will help develop tertiary-level medical service delivery by developing a medical college hospital contributing to universal health coverage.

A unique project in Telangana will help discover entrepreneurial skills with focus on women and rural population and support business expansion of MSMEs. In Haryana, the project will promote sustainable horticulture and improve farmer’s income by promoting crop diversification and infrastructure development.

The forestry project in Rajasthan will enhance ecosystem services through afforestation, forest and biodiversity conservation. In the mountainous state of Uttarakhand, the project aims to provide a stable water supply to urban towns.

The fifth tranche of the Dedicated Freight Corridor project will help in construction of a new dedicated freight railway system and bring about modernisation of the intermodal logistics system enabling handling of increased freight traffic.