India and Japan on Thursday signed a broad set of agreements on artificial intelligence (AI), defence, critical minerals, healthcare, economic security and clean energy, taking their strategic partnership beyond traditional infrastructure and investment. Announced after the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit in New Delhi, the agreements show that both countries are now focusing on technologies and industries that will shape future economic growth and regional security. The India Japan defence pact also entered a new phase with the first-ever joint defence co-development project, while both sides laid out plans to strengthen supply chains, boost investments and work more closely in the Indo-Pacific.
Welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on her first visit to India since taking office, Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlined the deep cultural ties between the two countries. “It gives me great pleasure to welcome Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to India on her first visit for the India-Japan Annual Summit. She is Japan’s first female Prime Minister and a visionary, popular leader. Moreover, she hails from Japan’s Nara Prefecture, a vital centre of the shared Buddhist heritage between India and Japan,” Modi said, as per reports.
Technology partnership gives India Japan defence pact a future-ready edge
Artificial intelligence emerged as one of the biggest outcomes of the summit, with both countries issuing a joint statement on AI and several institutions from India’s AI ecosystem signing agreements with Japanese partners. While the deals focus on research and collaboration, they also signal a long-term strategy to combine India’s software expertise with Japan’s strength in precision engineering and advanced technology, making both countries more competitive in the global AI race.
“Prime Minister Takaichi and I believe that a technology partnership will become the strongest pillar of our cooperation,” Modi said. “Several key institutions within the Indian AI ecosystem have also signed agreements with their Japanese partners today. The convergence of Japan’s precision technology and India’s software capabilities will impart new momentum and strength to global AI development.”
Reports say that the leaders also expanded cooperation in semiconductors, quantum technologies, critical minerals, advanced manufacturing and next-generation mobility. These sectors are increasingly vital for economic security because they reduce dependence on vulnerable global supply chains. Their inclusion also broadens the India Japan defence pact, as many of these technologies have both civilian and strategic applications.
First co-development project makes India Japan defence pact more strategic
The biggest defence announcement was the agreement to jointly develop the Naval Radio Antenna ‘Unicorn’, marking the first defence co-development project between the two countries. More than a single project, it signals that India and Japan are moving beyond defence dialogues and exercises towards jointly building military technologies.
“This project will open a new chapter in our defence technology partnership. We will now jointly develop defence technologies that strengthen regional peace, maritime security and the rules-based order,” PM Modi said, accoridng to reports.
The India Japan defence pact therefore becomes more than a security arrangement. It strengthens trust, improves defence technology cooperation and supports both countries’ shared vision of maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific.
Economic and healthcare deals expand India Japan defence pact beyond security
The summit also produced agreements in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical devices, showing that the partnership is increasingly focused on global health alongside strategic cooperation. “By combining India’s scale with Japan’s quality, we will work towards delivering affordable, reliable and advanced health solutions to the world,” PM Modi said.
Economic cooperation also featured prominently.As per reports, PM Modi said around 120 new business agreements signed over the past year are expected to bring more than $10 billion in Japanese investment into India. “Our goal is clear: to attract 10 trillion yen in investment from Japan to India and to double the number of Japanese companies operating in India over the next decade.”
If achieved, the target would strengthen manufacturing, create jobs and encourage greater technology transfer, making economic cooperation another key pillar supporting the India Japan defence pact.
Energy and Indo-Pacific vision show what India Japan defence pact means for the region
India and Japan also adopted a roadmap for economic security cooperation and launched the India-Japan Bio-gas Initiative, under which 1,000 biogas and organic fertiliser plants will be established across India. The initiative is expected to improve energy security, support India’s clean-energy transition and strengthen rural livelihoods, making energy another strategic area of cooperation.
Reports say that while highlighting the broader significance of the agreements, Modi said, “Today, both India and Japan are among the world’s largest economies. A free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific is our shared priority.” He further added, “As the region’s largest democratic and market economies, we have undertaken several significant initiatives today. Together, these will pave the way for peace, stability and progress across the entire region.”
Taken together, the agreements show that the India Japan defence pact is no longer centred only on security. It now brings together AI, advanced technology, investments, healthcare, clean energy and defence under one strategic partnership, reflecting how both countries are preparing for a future shaped by technology, resilient supply chains and a more competitive Indo-Pacific.
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Khalid Qasid is a media enthusiast with a strong interest in documentary filmmaking. He holds a Master’s degree in Convergent Journalism from AJK MCRC. He has also written extensively on esports at Sportsdunia. Currently, he covers world and general news at NewsX Digital.
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