Japan-India Summit: Aim for Development by Utilizing Each Other’s Strengths

Editorial

14:00 JST, August 30, 2025

The cooperative relationship between Japan and India can be said to have entered a new phase. It is crucial to steadily implement the comprehensive agreements reached between the leaders of the two countries.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Japan and held talks with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Friday for about 90 minutes. After the meeting, the two leaders issued a joint statement saying, “It is imperative to develop a mutually complementary relationship.”

India boasts the world’s largest population at over 1.4 billion people and is expected to grow further. Japan, facing a declining population, aims to provide its strengths in technology and capital to India to benefit from that growth.

The significance of complementary cooperation between Japan and India, both economic powers, is substantial. India, which is expected to surpass Japan in GDP this year, remains an important partner for Japan in terms of ensuring peace and stability in Asia.

Among the various documents exchanged by the two countries this time, the most notable is the “joint vision,” which outlines the direction of Japan-India cooperation for the next decade.

In the vision, Japan has set a goal of making private-sector investments totaling ¥10 trillion in India over the next 10 years. Recognizing that India has been developing many IT engineers in recent years, the document also includes a policy to bring digital technology professionals and other talents, totaling 50,000 people, to Japan in five years.

Additionally, Japan and India will cooperate in such fields as semiconductor development, ensuring supply chains and artificial intelligence development. Modi plans to visit a plant producing semiconductor manufacturing equipment in Miyagi Prefecture with Ishiba today [Aug. 30].

On the security front, the two nations’ 2008 joint declaration was revised to newly include collaboration in such fields as the cyber and space domains, along with exploring joint development of defense equipment.

India, which has traditionally maintained a nonaligned policy and pursued omnidirectional diplomacy, decided this time to deepen its cooperation with Japan even into the security field. This move is likely influenced by the deterioration of U.S.-India relations.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on imports from India to 50%, citing India’s purchase of Russian crude oil. Modi likely judged that strengthening ties with Japan is crucial to mitigating the impact of U.S. tariffs on his country’s economy.

Following his visit to Japan, Modi is scheduled to visit China for the first time in seven years to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. This move appears to reflect his aim to improve relations with China, which have cooled due to their border disputes.

Should U.S.-India tensions escalate, it would only benefit China and Russia. Japan’s role as a bridge in U.S.-India relations and other areas is growing increasingly important.

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 30, 2025)