Japan's Takaichi seeks deeper India ties on trade, security

NEW DELHI: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit India from Wednesday for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi focused on boosting trade, investment and strategic cooperation between the two Asian partners, the foreign ministry in Tokyo said.

The visit follows Modi’s trip to Tokyo last year, when Japan pledged to more than double its investment in India to more than $61 billion over the next decade, highlighting deepening economic ties.

The two leaders will hold the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit, a mechanism under which the prime ministers of the two countries meet alternately. The summit will review progress across trade, technology, infrastructure, defence and people-to-people ties, while also addressing regional and global issues, according to a statement from Japan’s foreign ministry.

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An Indian source said Modi and Takaichi will also attend business events with executives from both countries. About 1,400 Japanese companies operate in India, nearly half of them in manufacturing.

Bilateral trade reached $27.5 billion in fiscal year 2025/26, while Japanese investment in India totalled $3.2 billion between April and December 2025, according to Indian government data.

The leaders are also expected to discuss security cooperation and efforts to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific.

India and Japan are members of the Quad grouping alongside the United States and Australia, and have steadily expanded defence and strategic collaboration in recent years.

Japan is among India’s largest investors, backing major infrastructure projects including a high-speed rail corridor between the cities of Mumbai and Ahmedabad. Japanese firms have also increased investments in Indian companies, including a recent $1.6 billion deal for a 20% stake in Yes Bank.