India and Japan on Thursday expanded their strategic partnership by signing a series of agreements covering economic security, artificial intelligence (AI), defence technology, clean energy, healthcare and maritime security following bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi in New Delhi.
Takaichi is on a three-day official visit to India from July 1 to 3 at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi. The two leaders held wide-ranging discussions in New Delhi on enhancing bilateral cooperation amid growing geopolitical and economic challenges.
Addressing a joint press briefing after the talks, Prime Minister Modi said both countries had agreed on a joint roadmap for economic security to address global uncertainties. The roadmap focuses on building resilient supply chains in critical sectors such as semiconductors, quantum technologies and advanced materials.
"In today's era of uncertainty, both India and Japan fully understand the importance of economic and energy security," PM Modi said, underscoring the need for trusted partnerships in critical technologies and manufacturing.
The two countries also issued a joint statement on cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence, reflecting a shared commitment to advancing collaboration in emerging technologies. Modi said the technology partnership between India and Japan would become the strongest pillar of bilateral ties.
"The convergence of Japan's precision technology and India's software capabilities will impart new momentum and strength to global AI development," he said.
In a significant boost to defence cooperation, India and Japan signed an agreement for their first joint defence co-development project involving the naval radio antenna system "Unicorn". PM Modi described the agreement as the beginning of a new chapter in defence technology collaboration between the two nations.
"We will now jointly develop defence technologies that strengthen regional peace, maritime security and the rules-based order," the Prime Minister said.
The two sides also signed agreements to expand cooperation in pharmaceuticals, medical devices and biotechnology. PM Modi said India's manufacturing scale, combined with Japan's technological expertise and quality standards, could help deliver affordable, reliable and advanced healthcare solutions to people around the world.
