Modi, Japan PM Takaichi to hold annual summit to advance bilateral ties
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will arrive in New Delhi on Wednesday evening for a three-day official visit to India, marking her first bilateral visit since assuming office. She will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit on Thursday.
The summit is expected to review the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation and chart the future course of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
The two leaders will also exchange views on key regional and global developments, focusing on strengthening economic, strategic and security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
The visit comes less than a year after Prime Minister Modi travelled to Tokyo, where Japan committed to more than doubling its investment in India to over $61 billion over the next decade, underscoring the growing economic partnership between the two countries.
According to official sources, Modi and Takaichi will also participate in business engagements involving leading industry representatives from both countries. Around 1,400 Japanese companies currently operate in India, nearly half in the manufacturing sector, reflecting Japan’s significant role in India’s industrial growth.
India and Japan elevated their ties to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014, and cooperation has expanded steadily across trade, investment, defence, economic security, science and technology, infrastructure, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
As the two countries prepare to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2027, both sides are expected to reaffirm their commitment to deepening the partnership.
The India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which came into force on August 1, 2011, has provided a strong foundation for expanding economic engagement. Bilateral trade crossed $27 billion during 2025-26, while Japan remains India’s fifth-largest investor, with cumulative foreign direct investment of $48.17 billion between April 2000 and March 2026. Government data also show Japanese investment worth $3.2 billion between April and December 2025.
The two leaders are also expected to discuss enhancing defence and maritime cooperation, supply chain resilience, emerging technologies and efforts to promote a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
India and Japan, along with the United States and Australia, are members of the Quad grouping and have significantly strengthened strategic coordination in recent years. Japan continues to play a key role in India’s infrastructure development, including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project.
Japanese companies have also expanded their footprint in India’s financial sector, with a recent $1.6 billion investment securing a 20 per cent stake in Yes Bank.
Beyond strategic and economic ties, cultural relations remain a cornerstone of the partnership. Shared Buddhist heritage, growing interest in yoga and expanding educational and people-to-people exchanges continue to reinforce the longstanding friendship between the two nations.
