JAPAN on Friday set an investment target of 10 trillion yen in India over a decade and the two sides firmed up a mega roadmap to bolster cooperation in several key areas such as critical minerals, defence and technology, in decisions that came amid economic turbulence created by the Trump administration’s policies on trade and tariffs. The announcements on expanding India-Japan special strategic and global partnership were made following summit talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba. We have set a target of 10 trillion yen investment in India from Japan in the next 10 years, Modi, flanked by Ishiba, said in his media statement. The Prime Minister, who landed in Tokyo on Friday morning, said India-Japan cooperation is crucial for global peace and stability, and both sides have laid a strong foundation for a “new and golden chapter” in the partnership.

 

We have created a 10-year roadmap for cooperation in a range of areas, including investment, innovation, and economic security, he said. In his remarks, the Prime Minister said India and Japan are fully committed to a free, open, peaceful, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific. Both sides also decided to further strengthen cooperation in the field of the defence industry and innovation. Concerns of India and Japan regarding terrorism and cybersecurity are the same, Modi said, adding that both sides have shared interests in boosting defence and maritime security. The India-Japan partnership is rooted in mutual trust, reflects our national priorities and is shaped by our shared values and beliefs, he said. “Strong democracies are natural partners in shaping a better world,” he said. In his remarks, the Japanese Prime Minister said both sides need to take advantage of each other’s strengths to deal with next-generation challenges. 

 

 

 

INDIA is the fastest growing major economy and its political and economic stability as well as transparency in policies have made it an attractive investment destination, especially in areas of green energy, manufacturing and technology, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday. Modi’s remarks at a business forum shortly after landing in Tokyo on a two-day trip came amid fears of adverse impact of Washington’s 50 per tariffs against India on the country’s economy. In his address, Modi said Japan’s technology and India’s talent together can lead the technology revolution of this century and can contribute significantly to Asia’s stability, growth and prosperity. The Prime Minister said Japanese companies have invested more than USD 40 billion in India, including USD 13 billion in the past two years as he highlighted the country’s remarkable changes in the last 11 years. “Today, we have political and economic stability, and clear and predictable policies. India is now the fastest-growing major economy in the world, and very soon, it will become the world’s third-largest economy,” he said.

 

 

FORMER Japanese Prime Ministers Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Friday and discussed bilateral ties. Modi in a social media post said he had a “wonderful meeting” with Kishida. “He has always been a great advocate of closer India–Japan relations. We discussed the progress in our bilateral partnership across trade, critical technologies and human resource mobility. We also discussed the vast potential in emerging areas such as technology and semiconductors,” Modi said. “Both sides discussed the progress in India-Japan ties and the potential of taking forward India-Japan partnership for mutual progress and prosperity,” the Ministry of External Affairs said in a post on X. Modi also posted about his meeting with Suga, who is the Chairman of the Japan-India Association, and said they spoke about the many “dimensions of India–Japan cooperation”. “Our discussions covered how to build closer collaboration, including in technology, AI, trade, investment and beyond,” he wrote. Modi also appreciated the role played by the Japan-India Association in fostering friendship and business linkages between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs said. Modi also met with Fukushiro Nukaga, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the “strong and friendly relations” between India and Japan.