15th India-Japan Annual Summit

15th India-Japan Annual Summit

Why in News? 

The 15th India–Japan Annual Summit took place during Prime Minister Modi’s official visit to Japan on 29–30 August 2025. The leaders of both the countries discussed strengthening their deep-rooted friendship and cooperation based on shared values and mutual respect.

Key Outcomes of the 15th India–Japan Annual Summit

• Vision for Next Decade: India and Japan agreed to a new ten-year strategic road map that will guide their partnership into the future. This vision covers eight key areas such as economic partnership, economic security, mobility, ecological sustainability, technology and innovation, health, people-to-people ties, and state-prefecture engagement. 

• Security Cooperation: The two nations signed a comprehensive security cooperation framework to elevate defense collaboration to meet modern challenges. This framework reflects their shared commitment to regional stability and contemporary geopolitical realities under the broader Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

• Human Resource Exchange: India and Japan designed an action plan to promote the bilateral exchange of 500,000 people over the next five years, including 50,000 skilled and semi-skilled Indian professionals who will work in Japan. The plan aims to strengthen people-centric ties.

• Economic Security: The two countries launched a new Economic Security Initiative with the aim of strengthening supply chain resilience across critical industries. They committed to cooperating in areas such as telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, semiconductors, and clean energy, and to address export-control challenges. 

• Digital Partnership: Both countries celebrated progress under the India–Japan Digital Partnership and launched Digital Partnership 2.0 to drive joint digital innovation. 

• They also introduced a Japan–India AI Cooperation Initiative aimed at enabling collaboration in artificial intelligence, including large language models, data centers, research between industry and academia, and joint projects. 

• India extended an invitation to Prime Minister Ishiba to participate in the AI Impact Summit that will be hosted in February 2026.

• Mineral Resources Cooperation: A Memorandum of Cooperation in the Field of Mineral Resources will support joint efforts in securing critical minerals. Both nations will work together on exploration, processing technology, investment and stockpiling, reinforcing supply chain resilience for those materials vital to modern tech.

• Space Collaboration: India and Japan signed an implementing arrangement between ISRO and JAXA for a joint lunar polar exploration mission, effectively giving shape to collaboration on India’s upcoming Chandrayaan-5 mission. 

• Clean Energy Collaboration: The countries jointly announced a Declaration of Intent on Clean Hydrogen and Ammonia to advance cooperation in green energy. This aims to promote joint research, investment, and deployment of hydrogen and ammonia technologies to advance clean energy innovation. 

• Environmental Cooperation: The summit led to a Memorandum of Cooperation on Cultural Exchange to support collaboration in arts, museums, and cultural heritage preservation. They also signed MoUs for decentralized domestic wastewater management and environment cooperation to help manage water sustainably and advance public health.

• Industrial Partnership: India and Japan set a strict target of 10 trillion yen in private investment over the next decade, doubling their earlier five-year goal. 

• They reaffirmed support for Japan Industrial Townships, logistics, textiles, food processing, automotive, industrial goods, and MSMEs under the India–Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership (IJICP), and committed to making their CEPA trade pact more forward-looking.

• Development Cooperation: Both leaders praised Japan’s decades-long support to India’s development, especially in the North Eastern Region. They reaffirmed efforts to strengthen hard, soft and people-to-people connectivity via the Act East Forum and pledged continued cooperation with regional partners to drive prosperity in that region. 

• Next-Generation Mobility Partnership: A new Next-Generation Mobility Partnership was unveiled to build deeper government-to-government and business-to-business collaboration in multiple infrastructure and transport sectors. This partnership covers railways, aviation, roads, ports, and shipping, which are essential for national growth. 

• Both sides expressed commitment to promoting Make-in-India mobility solutions as part of their infrastructure and technology partnership.

• India–Japan Small and Medium Enterprises Forum: India and Japan launched a dedicated Small and Medium Enterprises Forum to strengthen cooperation between entrepreneurs from both sides. The forum is expected to promote joint ventures, technology sharing, and market access, while also encouraging innovation in manufacturing and services.

• Sustainable Fuel Initiative: The announcement of a Sustainable Fuel Initiative aimed at promoting energy security and environmental sustainability. This initiative focuses on biogas, biofuels, and other renewable energy technologies that can reduce dependence on fossil fuels.