India has strongly pushed back against allegations by a former Japanese minister

India has strongly pushed back against allegations by a former Japanese minister that New Delhi is responsible for delays in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Bullet Train project.

Responding to the remarks, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the comments were "an individual opinion" and "at considerable variance with facts." The ministry also reiterated that India and Japan continue to work closely on the ambitious high-speed rail corridor, with discussions and project implementation progressing as planned.

The exchange comes amid renewed focus on one of India's biggest infrastructure projects and the evolving partnership between New Delhi and Tokyo.

The Allegations by the Former Japanese Minister

On July 15, 2026, Hideki Makihara, a member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, published a highly critical post on social media blaming New Delhi for timeline delays. His accusations included: 

• Broken Promises: He accused Indian negotiators of "sheer recklessness," claiming they routinely walked back on agreements.
• Self-Interest: He alleged that Indian authorities continuously pursued their own self-interest during bilateral talks.
• Exclusion from Key Tech: He flagged concerns that Japan was being sidelined or "excluded from the signalling system," which is critical to the safety of the Shinkansen model.
• Targeting Leadership: He criticized the specific minister in charge of negotiations, calling the leadership "especially awful". 

India's Official Response and Counter-Facts

MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal and Ministry of Railways officials clarified the status of the flagship project to demonstrate that it is progressing smoothly through mutual coordination: 

• The Train Status: The MEA explained that Japan intends to provide its next-generation E10 series Shinkansen trains, but because that model is still under active development by Japan, those trains will not arrive until the early 2030s. 
• Interim Indigenous Deployment: To avoid delays, both nations mutually agreed to launch the first active corridor using an Indian-built high-speed train. This train is being manufactured locally by BEML Limited and the Integral Coach Factory. 
• Rapid Construction Timeline: India stated that construction is progressing quickly, with the first operational section (the Surat-Bilimora section in Gujarat) strictly on track to open by August 2027. 

Indian authorities emphasized that the project remains a cornerstone of the India-Japan strategic partnership and is actively supported by funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).