Former Japanese Justice Minister Hideki Makihara has publicly rebuked the Indian government, stating that the lack of progress on the joint Shinkansen high-speed rail project, the Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Corridor (MAHSR), stems entirely from the conduct of the Indian side.
Writing on his official X account, the former minister highlighted a pattern of broken commitments and self-interested negotiations that have hindered the initiative.
Regarding the persistent obstacles encountered during the project, the minister stated: “The Shinkansen project in India is something I was involved with myself, but what stood out in international meetings and negotiations was the sheer recklessness of the Indian side, repeated over and over. They just don’t keep promises, no matter what. Even if they make a promise, they flip it right away. They keep pushing their own self-interest right up to the very end. The minister in charge was especially awful—if the top guys like that, there’s no way to have any decent dealings.”
Expanding on the responsibility for the ongoing delays, the minister added: “For the honor of all the Japanese folks who poured their hearts into this, I have to say it: I feel 100% that the reason this hasn’t moved forward is entirely on the Indian side.”
Hideki Makihara, who was previously involved in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, expressed deep frustration over the deviation from the original Shinkansen model. The Shinkansen model refers to a highly integrated railway system encompassing specialized infrastructure, rigorous safety protocols, and operational management standards developed by Japan.
The remarks follow an opinion piece in a Japanese news outlet which noted that the project has diverged from initial safety and technical standards, including the exclusion of Japanese involvement in the signaling system.
