India and Japan have further strengthened their decades-long bilateral relations following the visit of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Economic and technological cooperation remain the core dimensions of the relationship, marked by billions of dollars in Japanese investments. Now, there is a growing emphasis on cooperation in defence and security. The visit yielded 16 major outcomes, emphasising the deepening mutual connection. Notably, Indian and Japanese companies signed 129 memorandums of understanding spanning technology, investment, and artificial intelligence. Japan is expected to invest $1 trillion in India. The two nations have adopted a roadmap for economic security, focusing on critical minerals and semiconductors. To further boost bilateral trade, they have also agreed to review their 15-year-old Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).
One of the key outcomes of the three-day visit was Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of the first co-development defence project involving the two countries: the Unified Complex Radio Antenna (UNICORN). Modi noted that the new collaboration would help build defence technologies supporting regional peace, maritime security, and a rules-based order. Prime Minister Takaichi highlighted maritime security as central to stability in the Indo-Pacific region, noting that Japan’s vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) aligns with India’s belief that the ocean is a shared space vital for sustaining growth and sovereignty. The two sides also committed to deepening defence ties, agreeing to expand cooperation through joint military exercises, along with the transfer and sale of defence equipment and technology, reinforcing a broader strategic partnership.
The renewed focus on the India-Japan relationship must be seen in the context of a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape in the Indo-Pacific. The region is witnessing growing uncertainty over the direction of the United States’ policy, particularly its approach to China and the future of security commitments to its allies. Washington’s decision to rename the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) back to Pacific Command (PACOM), coupled with perceptions that the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) has received less strategic attention, has raised questions about the durability of the existing regional security architecture. President Donald Trump’s recent visit to China has heightened speculation about possible shifts in US priorities.
For countries such as Japan, whose security has long depended on the US alliance, these developments have revived concerns about strategic reliability. India also faces challenges from China’s assertions. Stronger India-Japan ties present the two Asian powers an opportunity to enhance regional stability, while strengthening strategic autonomy and shared security interests. (Source: DH)
