Governor of Tokyo Ms Koike Yuriko said that Japan, and especially Tokyo, would like to work on exchange programmes and collaborations to welcome Indian students, startups, and businesses to work and develop their products in Tokyo. Ms Koike, along with a delegation of officials from Singapore, visited the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) on July 08, 2023, and held a meeting with the leadership of the Institute.

“It’s good to see India is making great progress in the fields of IT and technology. Indian startups are also making a mark at global level. The city of Tokyo is working to find solutions to global urban challenges using cutting-edge technology through visionary projects like “SusHi Tech Tokyo” to create a sustainable society for tomorrow. We in Japan, and especially Tokyo, would like to work on exchange programmes and collaborations to welcome Indian students, startups, and businesses to work and develop their products in Tokyo and form long-term connections.”, said Ms Koike Yuriko, Governor of Tokyo, Japan.

Earlier to this, Prof Rajat Moona, Director, IITGN, welcomed the distinguished guests and said, “We are delighted to welcome madam Koike Yuriko, the first lady governor of Tokyo and the delegation at IIT Gandhinagar. India has a lot to learn from Japan in the art of perfection and accuracy. We had the pleasure of forming many meaningful partnerships with institutions and industry in Japan in the past and we are looking forward to forming new connections with Japan and Tokyo through various projects and programmes. I am sure that this visit by the distinguished group of dignitaries will further strengthen the collaborative activities between IIT Gandhinagar and Japan.”

Following the meeting with IITGN leadership, Ms Koike Yuriko and the delegation interacted with a few startup founders at IITGN, including Cellegant Energy, which is developing innovative, energy efficient, and smart fuel cell-based energy systems; Galanto Innovations, which is developing an engaging virtual reality-based rehabilitation system that will enable stroke patients (with disability) to recover from their disability quickly; Golden Plastics, which is working on a single consolidated system that takes plastic waste as input and directly 3D prints various products from it; Infyu Labs, which is developing a lab in a pocket device for food processors and food exporters to help in quality assessment of the fruits without cutting them; among others. She took keen interest in understanding the deep tech innovations being developed by them.

Ms Koike and the delegation also visited some of the advanced labs at IITGN, including Maker Bhawan – a world-class Maker Space and the Centre for Creative Learning (CCL), and learnt about the innovative projects undertaken by them. The CCL team also presented the Tokyo Governor her portraits made using different mathematical techniques.

IITGN is one of the most globalised campuses in India with academic and research-based collaborations with institutions around the world, including an agreement for a double degree programme with the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST). Nearly 40 percent of its undergraduate and 75 percent of its PhD students receive study abroad, internship or other experience overseas before they graduate from the Institute. Nearly 80 percent of the faculty has an overseas degree or postdoctoral experience abroad. Almost 20 percent of its faculty is visiting, predominantly from abroad. The Institute also hosts many international students every year on its campus.