India, Japan to strengthen trade relations

Chennai: To beef up trade relations between small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India and Japan, the Indo-Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry has proposed establishing an SME desk that will explore opportunities to outsource work between the two nations. According to Japanese Consul-General, Mr Kazuo Minagawa, Japan''s declining population and consequently shortage of youngsters opting for jobs with SMEs were driving the sector to explore outsourcing options in India.