Japan has committed an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan of 30 billion yen (approx Rs 2,113 crore) for a programme loan to support India's efforts at providing social assistance to COVID-19 impacted poor and vulnerable households.

The notes were exchanged on Friday between India's Additional Secretary, Economic Affairs, C.S. Mohapatra, and Japan's Ambassador Suzuki Satoshi for the COVID-19 Crisis Response Support Loan for Social Protection.

Subsequent to the exchange of notes, agreement for this programme loan was signed between Mohapatra and JICA's Chief Representative Katsuo Matsumoto.

This programme loan aims to support India's efforts to provide coordinated and adequate social protection to the poor and vulnerable across the country against the severe impacts of COVID-19 pandemic.

(IANS)