Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi Arrives in New Delhi for 16th India-Japan Annual Summit

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi waves upon her arrival at the airport, in New Delhi

NEW DELHI: Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Wednesday arrived in New Delhi for a three-day official visit in India. During her visit, Takaichi will participate in the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit. In a post on X, the ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal welcomed the Japanese PM underlined that the visit marks an important step in taking forward the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between New Delhi and Tokyo. "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 Jitendra Singh," MEA said. "The visit marks an important step in taking forward the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan," he added. During Takaichi's visit, both countries are expected to deepen cooperation in economic security, resilient supply chains, emerging technologies, defence, maritime security and investment.

What's on agenda

Summit-level talks with PM Modi

During her stay, she will hold summit-level talks with Prime Minister Modi. 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 while exchanging 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 as both countries seek to build resilient supply chains amid an evolving global economic landscape. Diplomatic sources told news agency ANI that investment and innovation will be among the central themes of the discussions, with particular emphasis on semiconductors, critical minerals and economic security. Both sides are also expected to discuss measures to diversify supply chains and strengthen industrial cooperation in sectors considered strategically important. Maritime security and defence technology cooperation are also expected to receive considerable attention during the summit. In a time when global supply chains are under fresh threat of disruption amid intense strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific, officials said the two countries are looking at developing an "Industrial Value Chain" connecting the Bay of Bengal with India's Northeast, reflecting growing efforts to integrate infrastructure development with regional connectivity and manufacturing. Expected outcomes of the summit include a Joint Statement reaffirming the strategic partnership between the two countries, along with agreements and memoranda of understanding in areas such as artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, batteries, critical minerals and energy resilience.

India-Japan Business Forum

Takaichi will also participate in the India-Japan Business Forum, and engage with business leaders as the two sides seek to expand their Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Sources told ANI that proposals under discussion include cooperation on artificial intelligence, a large-scale green ammonia project in Odisha, expanded collaboration in biogas and initiatives to strengthen regional resilience through POWERR Asia. Ahead of her departure from Tokyo, Takaichi underscored the growing importance of India in Japan's foreign and strategic policy, saying that the changing international environment has made bilateral cooperation even more significant. "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.