Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Ahmedabad on Wednesday at the start of a two-day visit to India, during which he and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold bilateral talks aimed at bolstering economic and strategic ties. The centerpiece of the Abe visit will be laying of the foundation stone on Thursday for India’s first high-speed bullet train, connecting Mumbai and Ahmedabad. But improving the trade relationships and boosting ties in the area of defence are also critical, with the summit coming at a time when geopolitical tensions around the world are on the rise. According to Shobana Kamineni, president of industry body CII, Japan’s partnership with India could be ‘the’ partnership of the century for Japan. Trade volumes over the last few years have declined. Overall trade volume between India and Japan shows a decline of nearly 25 percent between 2012 and 2016. The trade ties are expected to improve in the coming years with the strongest partnerships likely to be forged in the automotive, railways and infrastructure sectors.