Gandhinagar, 20 January 2011

The Government of Gujarat today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with TOTO, a leading Japanese player into sanitary ware and bath fittings in presence of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Narendra Modi. The MoU signing was a key element of the Japanese delegation’s programme during their two-day visit to Gujarat. This is TOTO’s first plant in India which will be set up at GIDC Estate in Halol to manufacture sanitary wares and cater to the growing demand of the Indian market. The annual capacity of this plant would be 5,00,000 unit in its first phase of the total three phases planned as of now. The company would be investing to the tune of INR 380 Crore (approx. US$ 76 million) for their setups which will generate employment for 500 people. TOTO intends to complete proposed investment by 2013 and commence commercial production by July of 2014. The MoU was signed between Mr Mukesh Kumar, IAS, Managing Director, iNDEXTb and Mr Toshikatsu Kondo, Project Leader of TOTO India Pvt. Ltd.

The Japanese delegation led by Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) visited Hitachi’s plant and other sites in industrial zones in Kadi. Considering the influx of Japanese investments in the coming years, the state government plans to set up special Japanese townships around the Dholera Special Investment Region and other industrial zones. A Memorandum of Understanding between the Gujarat government and JETRO was signed in November 2011 to set-up a Japanese Industrial Zone.

Welcoming the Japanese delegation, the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat said, “Gujarat and Japan share strong cultural and business relationships. We consider you as a part of our family and are always eager to help you do business in our State. We are committed to providing not only basic infrastructure like roads, ports and airports but also provide next-generation technologies like an optical fibre network, gas grids and technologies for satellite transmission. We have already put significant efforts in basic infrastructure and now we believe is the time to think beyond the basics and put together next-generation infrastructure. I envisage huge investments from Japan in Gujarat and hence I would like to promote Japanese food and language here. I believe it’s a win-win situation for both Gujarat and Japan when it comes to sharing culture and doing business.”

Mr Nakamura, Executive Vice President of JETRO invited the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Gujarat Shri Narendra Modi to Japan when JETRO plans to hold a special conference on doing business in Gujarat this year. Addressing the Japanese delegation, Mr Nakamura said, “Japanese companies have been successful in India and in Gujarat as well. We would like to set-up a single-window shop based in Gujarat for Japanese companies wanting to do business here. With this initiative, we will be able to facilitate Japanese businessmen investing here and, therefore, generate employment in the State. The State government’s support has been incredible and our members present here are showing interest in setting up manufacturing as well as services sector investment”

TOTO is the world’s largest plumbing products manufacturer. TOTO offers a complete line of commercial and decorative plumbing fixtures and fittings, faucets, accessories, shower and flush valves, as well as lavatories, toilets, Air Baths and urinals. According to estimates, the market for the range TOTO caters to is estimated to be about $500 million in India and expected to grow at a healthy pace.