Japan PM Sanae Takaichi's India Visit: A New Chapter in the India–Japan Strategic Partnership

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has been given an official visit to New Delhi by Prime Minister Narendra Modi (1-3 July), India and Japan have renewed their expanding strategic partnership. The trip comes as the 16th India–Japan Annual Summit between the two leaders is being held on the sidelines of the visit, while they are discussing cooperation in trade, defence, technology, infrastructure and regional security.

The Special Strategic and Global Partnership between the two countries was highlighted by a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan. At bilateral talks, leaders will discuss further cooperation in the fields of semiconductors, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, clean energy, resilient supply chains and defence manufacturing. Both countries have been keen to cut reliance on fragile global supply chains and improve economies' security, and it is in these sectors that they have been investing more and more.

The peak also has a geopolitical significance. India and Japan are important Quad members who play a pivotal role in a free, open and inclusive Indo Pacific, alongside the U.S. and Australia. China's growing regional presence will be a key issue in the talks and there is likely to be a strong focus on maritime security, defence co-operation and freedom of navigation.

Another key element of the relationship is economic cooperation. Japan is one of the biggest foreign investors in India and some 1400 Japanese companies are operating in India. The bilateral cooperation is evident through ongoing projects like the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project (bullet train), industrial corridors, metro networks, and digital infrastructure. In addition, the two countries are discussing the development of more cooperation in the fields of green technologies, financial cooperation and advanced manufacturing.

The visit by PM Takaichi reflects the India–Japan relationship has gone far beyond the diplomatic part of it to a strategic relationship between the two countries. There is anticipated to be greater cooperation in technology, defence, trade, and security in the Indo Pacific region, which will be instrumental in building a more stable and prosperous Indo Pacific and driving economic growth and resilient global supply chains, as both countries face an increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape.