New Delhi: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi received a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday as she began the main engagements of her three day official visit to India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed his Japanese counterpart with full state honours before the two leaders held high level talks aimed at expanding cooperation in trade, technology, security and regional stability.
The visit marks the 16th India Japan Annual Summit and is Takaichi's first official visit to India since taking office as Japan's Prime Minister in October 2025. She arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday evening and was received by Union Minister Jitendra Singh. During her stay, she is expected to hold meetings with Indian political leaders and business representatives while reviewing the progress of several joint projects between the two countries.
The ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan reflected the growing importance of the India Japan relationship, which has steadily expanded over the past decade. India and Japan have developed close ties in economic cooperation, infrastructure development, defence collaboration and regional security, making each other key strategic partners in the Indo Pacific region.
During their summit, Modi and Takaichi are discussing ways to increase bilateral trade and investment while strengthening cooperation in emerging technologies. Both leaders are expected to focus on sectors such as semiconductor manufacturing, artificial intelligence, digital technology, clean energy, advanced manufacturing and critical minerals. These industries have become increasingly important as countries seek to build secure and resilient supply chains amid changing global economic conditions.
Economic cooperation remains one of the strongest pillars of the India Japan partnership. Japan is among the largest foreign investors in India, with hundreds of Japanese companies operating across sectors including automobiles, electronics, infrastructure and manufacturing. Bilateral trade between the two countries has continued to grow, while Japanese investments have played a major role in supporting India's industrial development and economic growth.
The leaders are also reviewing the progress of major infrastructure projects, including the Mumbai Ahmedabad high speed rail corridor, which is being developed with Japanese financial and technical assistance. The project is considered one of the flagship examples of cooperation between the two nations and is expected to improve transport connectivity while promoting economic development.
Security and defence cooperation are another major focus of the summit. India and Japan continue to strengthen their partnership in the Indo Pacific region through joint military exercises, maritime cooperation and regular strategic dialogue. Both countries are members of the Quad grouping alongside the United States and Australia, and they share a common vision of ensuring a free, open and inclusive Indo Pacific based on international law and freedom of navigation.
Officials from both sides are also expected to discuss regional and global developments, including maritime security, economic resilience and cooperation in addressing emerging security challenges. The discussions are likely to reaffirm the commitment of both governments to maintaining peace, stability and prosperity across the region.
Apart from government level cooperation, India and Japan are working to deepen people to people exchanges through education, tourism, cultural programmes and skill development initiatives. Both countries have recognised that stronger ties between their citizens will further strengthen the long term partnership.
Analysts believe the visit comes at an important time as both nations seek to diversify supply chains, expand cooperation in advanced technologies and reduce dependence on single sources for critical industrial materials. The summit also reflects the growing strategic alignment between New Delhi and Tokyo as they respond to evolving geopolitical and economic challenges in the Asia Pacific region.
Following the bilateral talks, the two leaders are expected to issue a joint statement outlining new areas of cooperation. Several agreements covering investment, technology, infrastructure, clean energy and defence collaboration are also expected to be announced, further strengthening the special strategic and global partnership between India and Japan.