Japan and India Set to Deepen Trade and Strategic Partnership at Annual Summit

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will begin a visit to India on Wednesday for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi aimed at strengthening trade, investment and strategic cooperation between the two countries. The leaders will hold the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit, where they are expected to review progress in areas including technology, infrastructure, defence and people-to-people ties, while also discussing key regional and global issues.

The visit builds on growing economic relations between the two nations following Modi’s trip to Tokyo last year, when Japan pledged to more than double its investment in India to over $61 billion during the next decade. Around 1,400 Japanese companies currently operate in India, with nearly half involved in manufacturing. Bilateral trade reached $27.5 billion in the 2025-26 financial year, while Japanese investment in India totalled $3.2 billion between April and December 2025.

Security cooperation is also expected to feature prominently in the discussions as both countries continue to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. India and Japan, both members of the Quad grouping alongside the United States and Australia, have steadily expanded defence ties in recent years. Japan also remains a key investor in major Indian infrastructure projects, including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor and significant investments in the country’s banking sector.