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December 15, 2015
Hitachi organizes Hitachi Social Innovation Forum 2015 in partnership with NDTV to deliberate on driving India's Social Infrastructure
NEW DELHI, December 15th, 2015: Hitachi India Pvt. Ltd. (Hitachi India), a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501) recently organized the Hitachi SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM 2015 in New Delhi. The two-day forum sought to bring together esteemed participants to deliberate upon how Social Innovation can propel India’s growth by driving the country’s social infrastructure with specific focus on Smart Cities, Water, Railway and Healthcare.
Hitachi recently signed 2 railway contracts with Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd. (DFCCIL) for signalling and telecommunications systems traversing India’s biggest industrial cluster between Delhi and Mumbai. Hitachi SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM is a reaffirmation of the company’s commitment to India.
The forum witnessed enthusiastic participation of eminent guests from government, bureaucracy and private sector including Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, Union Minister of Railways, Shri Babul Supriyo, Minister of State, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Mr. Amitabh Kant, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Ms. Naina Lal Kidwai, Chairman - India and Director, HSBC Asia-Pacific and Mr. Keiya Iida, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Government of Japan.
Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, Union Railway Minister gave a glimpse into the many initiatives by Indian Railways such as innovative financing, electricity and energy audits that has led to a substantial reduction in the overall energy costs, safety of passengers, food and catering, cleanliness and hygiene, reservations and mobile applications. Regarding the forum, he said, “I am sure this forum will provide better ideas that can be integrated into Indian Railways.”
Shri Babul Supriyo, Minister of State, Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, said while inaugurating the two-day event, “I am very happy to see bright minds and corporate endeavours coming forth to support government policies. It is great that many private players are putting together their thoughts on important developmental issues.”
Commenting on Smart Cities, he added, “Smart City concept is not just about impactful words like ‘paradigm shifts’ or ‘holistic development’. Policy is about work at ground zero. We need to go back to basics to make sense to the population who stays in those cities.”
Hitachi SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM 2015 served as a platform to bring together an effective mix of industry leaders, experts, policy makers, academia and representatives of industry. These thought leaders engaged in multiple panel discussions focusing on challenges arising due to rapid urbanization in India. On the first day of the forum, discussions revolved around role of infrastructure development in Smart Cities covering modernization of smart transmission and management of water, gas, electricity and IT networks. At the Railway Panel Discussion, industry experts shared their experiences on strengthening the wide rail network in India by delving deeper into Signalling Technologies. On the second day, the medical fraternity opined on promoting the concept of “Green Hospitals” through Energy Management Systems and IT. They also discussed aspects related to Healthcare, Mental Wellness and Optical Topography.
The event was accompanied by an exhibition where Hitachi showcased its technologies endorsing the company’s Social Innovation Business and how it can partner with the Indian society to offer its expertise in the areas of infrastructure.
Mr. Kojin Nakakita, Managing Director, Hitachi India Pvt. Ltd. said, “The Indian landscape is at a very dynamic stage. The Indian industry’s sentiment is optimistic due to policies promoting 100 SMART CITIES and DIGITAL INDIA. On the other hand, rapid urbanization presents massive challenges that need to be handled intelligently.” He also delved on the dire need to focus on providing better quality health services and improving the current functioning of the hospitals by providing efficient energy solutions and Data Management support.
He added, “Hitachi is on a strong spree to expand its global footprint. We are keen to strengthen and consolidate our base in India by offering our state-of-the-art technology and expertise acquired by working in varied global ecosystems. We are currently focusing on business expansion in the country and promoting localization across our diverse business portfolio. India is strategically a very significant market for Hitachi and we look forward to partnering the Indian government to charting out growth trajectories for the country.”
Hitachi SOCIAL INNOVATION FORUM 2015 event was organized in association with NDTV. Similar forums have previously been held across New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore in December 2013, November 2014, February 2015 and August 2015.
Inauguration - (L to R) Mr. Kojin Nakakita, Managing Director, Hitachi India Pvt. Ltd., Mr. Amitabh Kant, Secretary, DIPP, Shri Babul Supriyo, Minister of State, Urban Development, Mr. Mangal Dev, Director, Rail Systems Company, Hitachi India Pvt. Ltd. and Ms. Anamika Bhargava, Senior Vice President, Infrastructure Systems Company, Hitachi India Pvt. Ltd.
Address by Shri Suresh Prabhu, Union Minister of Railways
Address by Mr. Kojin Nakakita, Managing Director, Hitachi India Pvt. Ltd.
Hitachi started its business in India in the 1930's. Currently, Hitachi has 30 business bases and over 10,000 employees in India. In addition to being a leader in construction machinery and air-conditioning systems, the Hitachi Group in India is expanding on its 'Social Innovation Business', such as information & telecommunication systems, power systems, industrial, transportation and urban development systems. Together with further localization, Hitachi aims to contribute to a sustainable society in India as well as the country's economic growth. For more information about the Hitachi Group in India, please visit the website at http://www.hitachi.co.in.
Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501), headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, delivers innovations that answer society's challenges with our talented team and proven experience in global markets. The company's consolidated revenues for fiscal 2014 (ended March 31, 2015) totaled 9,761 billion yen ($81.3 billion). Hitachi is focusing more than ever on the Social Innovation Business, which includes power & infrastructure systems, information & telecommunication systems, construction machinery, high functional materials & components, automotive systems, healthcare and others. For more information on Hitachi, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi.com.