A 54-member Japanese delegation on Sunday visited IIT Guwahati and the upcoming Tata semiconductor plant at Jagiroad to explore collaboration in research, innovation and industry — marking a key step in strengthening Assam-Japan ties.

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, bullish about the visit, said Assam was in continuous dialogue with Japanese officials and hoped the state would attract investment “in due course”.

The delegation, led by the Speaker of Japan’s House of Representatives Fukushiro Nukaga, received a grand welcome at Jagiroad, with around 300 schoolchildren dressed in traditional attire waving Indian and Japanese flags on either side of the plant entrance. Officials described the gesture as a symbol of the “deepening ties” between the two countries.

The team spent nearly two and a half hours at the facility, reviewing progress on the IT park and a training institute for future employees. The plant is expected to produce its first semiconductor chip by November–December, sources said.

“There is continuous engagement with the Japanese government and business community. We hope Assam will see Japanese investment in due course,” Sarma said.

The three-day visit, which began on Saturday, included one-on-one meetings at IIT Guwahati between the delegation, institute officials and state representatives. Discussions centred on strengthening ongoing collaborations and aligning future initiatives with the Indo-Japan vision of 50,000 student and research exchanges, as outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba.

In his address, Nukaga emphasised the shared democratic values and development goals of India and Japan, calling for deeper cooperation in emerging technologies, education, human resource development and sustainable innovation.

At IIT Guwahati, the delegation toured research centres including the Centre for Nanotechnology and the Technology Incubation Centre. They were briefed on cutting-edge work in nanotechnology, Artificial Intelligence, and healthcare. Start-ups at the institute showcased medical and eco-friendly devices, some of which were gifted to Nukaga as mementoes.

The delegation’s visit concludes on Monday.