New Delhi: Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong leadership, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida on Sunday attributed the success of Maruti Suzuki to the people and the Indian government.

While attending an event virtually in Gujarat's Gandhinagar to mark 40 years of Suzuki Motor Corporation in India, the Japanese PM Fumio Kishida Minister, "We owe the success of Maruti Suzuki to the support of the people and government of India. Recently the Indian economic growth has been further accelerating due to various assistance measures for the manufacturing sector, guided by the strong leadership of PM Modi."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the success of Maruti-Suzuki signifies the strong India-Japan partnership. PM Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone of the Maruti Suzuki Vehicle Manufacturing Facility for Haryana and Suzuki EV Battery Plant for Hansalpur in Gujarat at the event in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

Recalling former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to take India-Japan ties to another level, Prime Minister said, "In the last eight years, this relationship between our two countries has reached new heights."

"Today, from the bullet train in Gujarat-Maharashtra to the Rudraksha centre in Banaras, many development projects are examples of Indo-Japan friendship. And when it comes to this friendship, every Indian definitely remembers our friend, former Prime Minister Late Shinzo Abe."

He expressed hope that in continuation of Abe's legacy, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will take forward the relationship between the two nations. "When Abe Shan came to Gujarat, the time he spent here is fondly remembered by the people of Gujarat. Today PM Kishida is taking forward the efforts he made to bring our countries closer," PM Modi said.

PM Modi stressed that the relations that exist between Gujarat and Japan have always been higher than only diplomatic ties. "I remember when the Vibrant Gujarat Summit was started in 2009, since then Japan has been associated with it as a partner country," the Prime Minister said.

"The success of Maruti-Suzuki also signifies the strong India-Japan partnership. In the last eight years, these relations between our two countries have reached new heights," he added.

The Prime Minister further spoke extensively about the benefits of electric vehicles. "One of the great features of electric vehicles is that they are silent. Be it a 2-wheeler or a 4-wheeler, they don't make any noise. This silence is not only about its engineering, but it is also the beginning of a silent revolution in the country."

India has announced in COP-26 that it will achieve 50 PC of its installed electrical capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030 and we have set a 'Net Zero' target for 2070, PM Modi added.

PM Modi was present along with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to mark the 40th anniversary of Suzuki in India.