India and Japan took their trade and strategic partnership a step further on Thursday, signing a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) and reaffirming their commitment to deepen bilateral and global cooperation. The agreements came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi held the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.The MoC was signed in the presence of the two Prime Ministers following delegation-level talks aimed at expanding strategic and global cooperation between the two countries.Welcoming the Japanese leader, PM Modi said, “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to India on her first visit for the India-Japan Annual Summit. She is Japan’s first female Prime Minister and a visionary, popular leader. Moreover, she hails from Japan’s Nara Prefecture, a vital center of the shared Buddhist heritage between India and Japan.”He further added, “Today, both India and Japan are among the world’s largest economies. A free, prosperous, and rules-based Indo-Pacific is our shared priority. As the region’s largest democratic and market economies, we have undertaken several significant initiatives today. Together, these will pave the way for peace, stability, and progress across the entire region.”Highlighting the growing economic partnership, PM Modi said ties between the two countries were continuing to strengthen.“Over the past year, around 120 new business agreements have been concluded, which will bring over 10 billion dollars in Japanese investment to India. Today’s agreement between the Financial Services Agencies will further facilitate the flow of capital and investment. Our goal is clear: to attract 10 trillion Yen in investment from Japan to India and to double the number of Japanese companies operating in India over the next decade. Continuous reforms in India have improved the ease of doing business, an opportunity that Japanese companies can also leverage.”PM Modi said that the two nations stand among “the world’s largest economies,” adding that “A free, prosperous, and rules-based Indo-Pacific is our shared priority. As the region’s largest democratic and market economies, we have undertaken several significant initiatives today. Together, these will pave the way for peace, stability, and progress across the entire region.”
AI and tech boost
Technology cooperation also emerged as a key focus of the summit, with PM Modi that saying both countries see it as the strongest pillar of their future partnership. To advance that vision, India and Japan issued a joint statement on artificial intelligence, while several leading institutions from India’s AI ecosystem signed agreements with their Japanese counterparts.Highlighting the potential of the collaboration, the Prime Minister said that the combination of Japan’s precision technology and India’s software capabilities would “impart new momentum and strength to global AI development.”The two countries also expanded their defence cooperation by signing an agreement for their first joint defence co-development project. The initiative, involving the Naval Radio Antenna ‘Unicorn’, marks the first such collaboration between India and Japan and is expected to open a new chapter in their defence technology partnership.“We will now jointly develop defense technologies that strengthen regional peace, maritime security, and the rules-based order,” PM Modi said.Beyond technology and defence, the two sides also signed agreements in pharmaceuticals, medical devices and biotechnology. “By combining India’s scale with Japan’s quality, we will work towards delivering affordable, reliable, and advanced health solutions to the world,” PM Modi stated.
Japanese PM Takaichi in India
The leaders first held bilateral discussions before leading delegation-level talks. The Indian delegation included external affairs minister S Jaishankar, national aecurity adviser Ajit Doval and foreign secretary Vikram Misri, along with other senior officials.Earlier in the day, Takaichi received a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, where Prime Minister Modi introduced her to his Cabinet colleagues and other dignitaries.Reacting to the ceremony, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, “Further strengthening our special partnership. PM Sanae Takaichi of Japan was accorded a ceremonial reception at the Forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. A partnership for the future, built on trust and rooted in shared values.”Takaichi is visiting India from July 1 to 3 at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi. During the three-day visit, she is scheduled to participate in the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit, where the two sides are expected to review the full range of bilateral cooperation and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.The ministry of eternal affairs said the summit offers both countries an opportunity to strengthen cooperation across strategic, economic, technological and security sectors.Diplomatic sources have indicated that the agenda is also likely to include maritime security, defence technology cooperation and the development of an “Industrial Value Chain” connecting the Bay of Bengal with India’s Northeast.The visit follows PM Modi’s trip to Tokyo in August 2025 for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit and comes as both countries continue efforts to strengthen their Special Strategic and Global Partnership in response to evolving regional and global challenges.
