India and Japan have agreed to deepen their strategic partnership across defence, technology, economic security and mobility, with Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi describing the relationship as crucial to tackling an increasingly complex global environment. Addressing a joint press statement with Prime Minister Narendra Modi after bilateral talks, Takaichi said the two countries had agreed to further strengthen strategic cooperation and expand collaboration across multiple sectors.
"Japan and India must leverage our respective strengths to become stronger and more prosperous together," Takaichi said. "In the midst of international affairs in disarray, the establishment of such an inter-complementary cooperative relationship has become ever more important."
She said both leaders had agreed to place strategic cooperation, economic security and investment-led growth at the centre of bilateral ties. Highlighting the alignment between Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision and India's MAHASAGAR initiative, Takaichi said, "We agreed to deepen the strategic cooperation between Japan and India to achieve such common goals."
As part of the enhanced defence partnership, the two countries plan to conduct a joint maritime exercise involving Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Indian Navy, expand cooperation in naval maintenance and repairs, and strengthen defence equipment collaboration under the Make in India initiative. Takaichi also said she had instructed officials to convene the next India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue before the end of the year.
Takaichi said both countries face common challenges such as economic weaponisation and supply-chain concentration, making cooperation in critical minerals, semiconductors and energy security increasingly important. She announced the launch of a bilateral dialogue to strengthen India's petroleum stockpiling system and reiterated Japan's support for India's membership of the International Energy Agency (IEA).
The two sides also unveiled a joint roadmap on economic security covering energy, semiconductors and resilient supply chains, while agreeing to co-develop defence technologies and issue a joint statement on artificial intelligence.
Modi also announced a target of facilitating 10 trillion yen of Japanese investment into India over the next decade, describing Japan as "an integral part of India's growth story."
Highlighting growing business ties, Takaichi said nearly 120 cooperation agreements between Indian and Japanese companies, including investments worth around 2 trillion yen, were announced during the visit. Looking ahead to the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year, she said she hoped to take the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership "to a new phase" together with Prime Minister Modi.
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