Japanese PM Takaichi arrives in India to participate in 16th India-Japan Annual Summit

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday for a three-day official visit, during which she will participate in the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit aimed at deepening cooperation across a range of strategic and economic sectors.

Takaichi's visit, from July 1 to July 3, comes at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and marks her first official trip to India since assuming office.

She was received upon arrival by Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh.

In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote, "ようこそ、インドへ, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi!"

"A very warm welcome to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan who arrives in New Delhi on an Official Visit. PM Takaichi was received by MoS @DrJitendraSingh," he said.

More from World

"The visit marks an important step in taking forward the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan," Jaiswal added.

During her visit, Takaichi will hold summit-level talks with PM Modi, participate in the India-Japan Business Forum and engage with business leaders from both countries. The discussions are expected to focus on economic security, resilient supply chains, emerging technologies, defence cooperation, maritime security, investment and innovation.

Ahead of her departure from Tokyo, Takaichi highlighted the growing significance of India in Japan's foreign and strategic policy.

"I will visit India shortly. Amid growing uncertainty in the international situation, the importance of collaboration with India, which shares fundamental values and strategic interests, is only increasing," she said during an informal press conference before leaving for New Delhi.

The Japanese leader said her talks with PM Modi would centre on strengthening strategic ties, enhancing economic security cooperation and expanding business partnerships.

"In this context, through this visit, taking into account the current international situation, I intend to advance concrete cooperation with Prime Minister Modi, centring on three points: deepening the strategic cooperative relationship between Japan and India, promoting cooperation in economic security, and fostering collaboration between companies of both countries toward investment and innovation," she said.

Takaichi also underlined the role of private-sector engagement in strengthening bilateral ties, noting that more than 150 representatives from Japan's business community are expected to participate in the India-Japan Economic Forum.

"On the occasion of this visit to India, we plan to hold the Japan-India Economic Forum with the participation of more than 150 individuals from Japan's business community. By uniting government and private sectors, we aim to broaden the scope of Japan-India cooperation and realise a strong economy," she said.

Regional security and the Indo-Pacific are also expected to feature prominently in the discussions.

"India, like Japan, as a major democratic country in Asia, bears responsibility for achieving peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. In that regard, I intend to firmly discuss with Prime Minister Modi efforts toward realising a 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific' (FOIP), including the framework of Japan, the United States, Australia, and India," Takaichi said.

She added that the visit would also help strengthen her personal rapport with the PM Modi.

"Finally, since this visit is realised at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi, I see it as an opportunity to further deepen the personal trust relationship with Prime Minister Modi," she said.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the annual summit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and exchange views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.

The summit is expected to focus on expanding economic engagement, strengthening strategic coordination and enhancing cooperation in critical technologies, including semiconductors, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and energy resilience. Maritime security, defence technology cooperation and efforts to build more resilient supply chains are also expected to feature prominently.

Officials are also expected to discuss the development of an industrial value chain linking the Bay of Bengal with India's Northeast, as well as new initiatives in green ammonia, biogas and regional resilience.

The summit is expected to conclude with a joint statement reaffirming the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, alongside agreements and memoranda of understanding in sectors including artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, batteries, critical minerals and energy security.

India and Japan elevated their ties to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014 and have since expanded cooperation across defence, infrastructure, trade, digital technologies, clean energy, healthcare and people-to-people exchanges.

The meeting builds on the outcomes of the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit held in Tokyo in August 2025, where both sides adopted a Joint Vision for the Next Decade and launched the India-Japan Economic Security Initiative to strengthen cooperation in resilient supply chains and critical technologies.

The two leaders also met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit last month, where they reaffirmed their commitment to expanding economic cooperation, particularly in trade and investment.

With inputs from agencies