New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan from August 29 to 30 for the Annual Bilateral Summit ushers in a watershed moment in India–Japan ties, with Tokyo expected to double its investment commitment to New Delhi.
“At the invitation of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, I am embarking on a two-day visit to Japan for the 15th Annual Summit,” a pre-departure statement issued by Modi on Thursday before embarking for Japan reads.
“During my visit, we would focus on shaping the next phase in our Special Strategic and Global Partnership, which has made steady and significant progress over the past 11 years,” he stated. “We would endeavour to give new wings to our collaboration, expand the scope and ambition of our economic and investment ties, and advance cooperation in new and emerging technologies, including AI and Semiconductors. The visit will also be an opportunity to strengthen our civilisational bonds and cultural ties that connect our peoples.”
Doubling Investments On The Cards
According to reports in the Japanese media, Tokyo is expected to elevate its private-sector investment target from five trillion yen to 10 trillion yen (around $68 billion) over the coming decade – a dramatic vote of confidence that aligns with India’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Make for the World’ ambition.
This will be the 15th Annual Bilateral Summit between India and Japan and the first between Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba, though the two leaders have met on the sidelines of multilateral summits earlier.
Over the next few days, will be in Japan and China to attend various bilateral and multilateral programmes. In Japan, will take part in the 15th Annual India-Japan Summit and hold talks with PM Shigeru Ishiba. The focus would be on deepening our Special Strategic and Global…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 28, 2025
“India and Japan are two countries that share values, trust, and strategic outlook on several issues,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a special media briefing here ahead of Modi’s visit to Japan. “They are two of Asia’s leading democracies and amongst the top five world economies. Our bilateral relations have expanded steadily in scope and ambition over the last decade, and today comprise trade and investment, defence and security, science and technology, infrastructure and mobility, people-to-people contact, and vibrant cultural engagement between the two sides.”
Misri said that Modi’s visit will also be an opportunity to launch several new initiatives in order to build greater resilience in the relationship and to respond to emerging opportunities and challenges.
Reshaping the Indo-Pacific: Quad and Strategic Cooperation
In response to a question, Misri said that the Quad, which also includes the US and Australia, is an important platform for India and Japan for working on and promoting peace, stability, prosperity, and development in the Indo-Pacific region. He said that the India-Japan agenda has expanded to cover critical and emerging technologies.
“There’s an initiative with regard to critical minerals that has been discussed recently,” the Foreign Secretary said. “Overall, with regard to how to make supply chains more resilient, and also infrastructure development. So, these are all issues that are a priority, both for India and for Japan. Both our countries attach high value to this forum and to this partnership. And we look forward to working with all Quad partners to take our cooperation forward. I’m sure when the two prime ministers meet, the Quad will be a subject that will be discussed between the two of them.”
Defence Synergy: Co-Developing Advanced Technology
Highlighting the importance of defence cooperation as an important pillar in the India-Japan bilateral relationship, Misri said that the defence ministers of the two countries met in May this year, during which the two sides reviewed a whole host of issues, operational engagements between the two sides, but more importantly, defence equipment and technology collaboration.
In this connection, he cited the two sides working on co-developing the Unified Complex Radio Antenna or the UNICORN project, which is a common radar mast for use by Indian Navy platforms.
“A memorandum of implementation for this particular project was signed in November 2024,” he said. “The Indian Navy and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force are also exploring possible cooperation in the area of ship maintenance in India. And there are discussions going on a number of other issues between the designated agencies of the two sides, DRDO in India and ATLA in Japan. And, these discussions are regular and the agenda is constantly being refreshed, and they remain engaged on it.”
Strengthening Tech Ties: AI, Semiconductors
With global turbulence – not least US tariff moves affecting India – Tokyo is a key partner for semiconductors, critical minerals, and high-value manufacturing. These are front-burner themes, paired with resilience initiatives and friend-shoring.
Meanwhile, a report in Japan’s Asahi Shimbun news website, citing a source close to India-Japan ties, stated that the Japanese government plans to revise its goals for private-sector investment in India to 10 trillion yen over the next 10 years. According to the report, this plan will expand upon Japan’s current goal of investing five trillion yen over five years, which was announced in March 2022 by then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during his visit to India.
“The two governments also plan to launch an Economic Security Initiative, a new bilateral cooperation framework to address economic security challenges, such as ensuring stable supplies of critical materials and guaranteeing the safety of core infrastructure,” the report stated. “The initiative will prioritise key areas including semiconductors, critical minerals, telecommunications, clean energy, pharmaceuticals and scientific fields such as Artificial Intelligence.”
Apart from this, a project called Digital Partnership 2.0 will be developed to expand economic collaboration beyond manufacturing to encompass emerging technological fields, such as semiconductors, AI and startups.
High-Speed Rail and Infrastructure: Japan’s Continued Support
According to the Asahi Shimbun report, as part of India’s first high-speed rail project, which is based on Japan’s Shinkansen technology, an agreement is expected to be reached on the introduction of the next-generation E10 series bullet train under development by East Japan Railway Co. The Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail remains a signature project of Japanese aid to India. The government and the National High Speed Railway Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) update point to steady construction and a multi-year completion timeline, with Gujarat sections advancing fastest.
“In the immediate context, if you see, Modi’s visit to Japan is very crucial,” Abhinav Pandya, founder, director and CEO of the Udaipur-based Usanas Foundation think tank, told ETV Bharat. “This is coming close on the heels of the US’s imposition of 50 per cent reciprocal tariffs on India. So, India is definitely finding new markets and hedging its bets.”
Pandya said that India has already started exploring new markets like Brazil, Russia, and China.
“I guess Japan is also a great alternative in that context,” he said. “Japan’s decision to increase investment in India to 10 trillion yen is a welcome development. Expectedly, they are going to sign a lot of MoUs on technological, economic and trade issues, which is, again, a very positive sign. These efforts must be lauded.”
But, at the same time, he cautioned that Japan is aligned with the US. “The tensions which we are witnessing between Japan and the US due to tariff issues may not last long as both sides are aligned with each other because of permanent and long-lasting strategic interests,” Pandya said. “So, India must be mindful of the fact that Japan, ultimately, will not act against the US.”
But, eventually, to sum up, the upcoming India-Japan Annual Bilateral Summit is not just another ritual in a busy diplomatic calendar. It is a reset with a new Japanese administration, a bid to lock in security architecture upgrades, and a push to re-energise Japanese investment into Indian manufacturing and infrastructure–especially high-tech and high-speed rail. If the joint statement actualises as signalled, the two sides will leave Tokyo with a tighter, modernised security framework and a clearer industrial-tech pipeline – precisely what India needs as it navigates a choppier global trade environment.
AloJapan.com