Aug 04, 2017 India on Thursday sought Japan's assistance in a slew of areas-tourism, skill development, food processing, infrastructure development as well as making buildings resistant to earthquake damage-in a bid to fast-track development in its north-east region. Addressing the first Japan-India Coordination Forum for Development of the North Eastern Region, Naveen Verma, secretary in the ministry for development of the north-eastern region, said India plans to spend Rs 45,000 crore for the development in the region bordering China, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar. “This is being spent in pockets. What we are looking at is the gaps, the gaps that are not being met either by the state plans or by our interventions,” Verma said, adding “that is an area where we can look at the scope of collaboration.” Verma noted that India's north-east had a lot of skilled manpower which “can certainly help boost the Japanese economy.” Given that the north-eastern regio...