India has decided to abandon its plans to import Shinkansen bullet trains from Japan for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail corridor due to unsuccessful price negotiations and changes in project norms.

The government is now focusing on a Make-in-India initiative and has awarded the contract to BEML Ltd and Medha Servo Drives in September 2024.

Negotiations with the Japanese government have been at a standstill for the past six months, as both parties have been unable to agree on a price point and a timeline for test runs.

Despite Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's visit to Japan in September to address these issues, discussions remain unresolved.

The high costs associated with importing Shinkansen trains and the ongoing maintenance requirements from Japanese firms have raised concerns about the project's overall financial viability.