India-Japan ties : Defence takes centre stage as partnership expands
Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Thursday, August 20, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, with defence cooperation and the wider India-Japan strategic partnership taking centre stage during the Japanese minister’s official visit.
Modi outlined his vision for further strengthening the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between the two countries and stressed the importance of India-Japan defence and security cooperation in promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, the Prime Minister’s Office said.
What did Modi discuss with Koizumi?
During the meeting, Modi recalled his discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during her visit to India for the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit in July and welcomed the steady progress in defence cooperation.
Modi also pointed to opportunities for Japanese companies and start-ups to work with Indian firms in the defence sector, particularly in co-development and co-production under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Koizumi briefed the prime minister on the progress of bilateral defence cooperation and reaffirmed the Japanese government’s continued commitment to closer ties with India.
In a post on X, Modi described the conversation as an “excellent” one on India-Japan defence and security ties, calling the bilateral partnership an important anchor for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
Why is the partnership important?
The latest meeting comes soon after the July summit, where India and Japan discussed a wider roadmap covering defence, economic security, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, semiconductors and clean energy.
Defence remains a particularly important part of the relationship as both countries seek greater cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. But the focus is also moving towards joint production, technology and industrial partnerships, rather than defence cooperation being limited to military exercises or equipment.
The economic side of the relationship is changing too. India is looking to Japanese investment and technology to strengthen manufacturing and supply chains, while Japan sees India as an important market and production partner.
Recent cooperation has also extended to areas such as healthcare, education, workforce mobility and green hydrogen. Agreements involving Japanese institutions and Indian universities and organisations point to a relationship that is increasingly being built beyond government-to-government ties.
For now, however, defence remains the immediate focus. Koizumi’s visit comes as New Delhi and Tokyo seek to turn their longstanding strategic understanding into more concrete cooperation in defence production, technology and security, while widening the partnership across the economy and society.
(With inputs from PTI)
