Japan, which was slated to collaborate with the new Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) to come up in Bihar, is now not keen on doing so. Instead, the Japanese are putting their pie on the IIT that is to be set up in Andhra Pradesh.

Besides Japan, the UK and the US are also looking at joining hands with one of the three IITs to be established in Bihar, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh in phase I of the plan to increase the number of IITs.

Last year, the Indian government had approached Japan with the idea of tying up with the IIT slated to come up in Bihar. A concept note to that effect was also handed over to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during his visit to India in August last year.

However, when the two countries talked the deal out across the table, Japan expressed its reservations about supporting the IIT-Bihar initiative. An Indian delegation had recently visited Japan to spell out the details of the collaboration and introduce the Japanese to the functioning of the IIT system.

Members who were part of the team said the Centre had tried to push the Buddha connection, but the Japanese weren't convinced. Sanjeev Sinha, director (new business group), UBS Investment Bank, and the mediator between the Indian and Japanese governments, told TOI from Tokyo, "The law and order problem in Bihar makes it our last choice. But between Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh, there is a high inclination to associate with the IIT to come up in Hyderabad. Not only is international access better there, we believe that it is also progressing the best in terms of time."

The Japanese government is likely to send its confirmation on Hyderabad later this month. A Japanese delegation will visit New Delhi on April 30, added Sinha, also the president of the IIT Alumni Association in Japan.

Earlier, the Japanese were keen on supporting the IIT that is likely to come up in Rajasthan.