Japan's NEC to develop hi-tech security system for Tirupati

Andhra Pradesh signs two more MoUs in Japan

Pushing for a closer collaboration with Japanese companies in areas of technology and investments, the Andhra Pradesh government has signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) with Japanese IT and networking solutions provider NEC and Mizuho Bank Limited in a latest round of bilateral meetings in Japan.

These agreements come on the back of the ongoing tour of AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who is visiting Japan for a second time in less than three months.

An MoU signed between NEC India Private Limited, a subsidiary of diversified business conglomerate NEC, with Andhra Pradesh Technology Services Limited (APTS) aims to build a safe city project for the temple town of Tirupati by creating future-proof solution architecture to establish a common platform for integration of all technology components into the central city operations centre.

The company also involves in developing a city surveillance system with surveillance cameras, facial recognition solution and behaviour detection, a domain of video analytics, and develops smart transport management system with automated number plate recognition, automatic vehicle tracking and automatic fare collection.

NEC proposes to collaborate with the state government in evolving a smart policing mechanism through an automated fingerprint identification system, facial recognition-based forensic and dial 100 platform, according to the officials.

The MoU speaks of establishing  a centre of excellence for the safe city project, which is supposed to undertake R&D, capacity building and consultancy on technological aspects relating to these areas besides setting up an NEC development centre in the state.

The second MoU is between Sunrise AP, state’s nodal agency for investment promotion, and Mizuho Bank Limited.

Mizuho, a global financial institution having business relationship with 70 per cent of listed Japanese companies, intends to facilitate and support resource and investment activities in both the countries and promote Japanese investments in India by leveraging its vast customer base, the government said.

According to the MoU, the AP nodal agency will facilitate Mizuho’s client companies investing in AP and doing business with Indian companies by introducing local partners as well as by assisting them in implementing the projects in Andhra Pradesh.

It may be recalled that the AP government had already signed a number of agreements with some of the top Japanese companies, including Sumitomo Corporation, which has been entrusted to build a super-critical thermal power project in the north coastal district of Srikakulam.

SoftBank chairman and Japanese billionaire Masayoshi Son, who met the chief minister in Hyderabad soon after announcing a joint venture to fund projects in the Indian renewable energy sector in Delhi last month, would also be playing an important role in bringing investments to the state, the officials said.

Naidu is also expected to use his present visit to invite Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to the foundation laying event of the new capital city on October 22 along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to the officials.