• Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced an investment target of $42 billion (Rs 3,20,000 crore) in India over the next five years as the two sides concluded a raft of agreements and collaborations to further expand their special strategic and global partnership.

• Japanese PM Fumio arrived in New Delhi, his first bilateral visit, for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit with PM Narendra Modi. The meeting took place at a significant time as the two countries are celebrating the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations.

• Following talks between Modi and Kishida at the 14th India-Japan Summit, the two sides inked six agreements including one that will facilitate Rs 20,400 crore loan by Japan International Cooperation Agency for development projects in India.

Highlights of the meeting:

• Reaffirming the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan, the leaders concurred that the shared values and principles enunciated in the India-Japan Vision Statement issued in 2018 are particularly relevant in the present context, where global cooperation is required more than ever to address challenges that have become more acute. 

• PM Kishida welcomed the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) announced by Prime Minister Modi in 2019. The Prime Ministers acknowledged the growing space for cooperation between the IPOI and Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). 

• They welcomed the launch of the India-Japan Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) for cooperation towards achieving sustainable economic growth, addressing climate change and ensuring energy security, in areas such as electric vehicles, storage systems including batteries, electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI), solar energy, clean including green hydrogen/ammonia, wind energy, exchange of views on respective energy transition plans, energy efficiency, CCUS (Carbon dioxide Capturing, Utilization and Storage) and carbon recycling.

• The PMs recalled the establishment of the India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership (IJICP) in November 2021 and welcomed the formulation of a Roadmap under the IJICP, to further promote industrial cooperation between the two countries including in the areas of MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), manufacturing and supply chains.

• They welcomed the launch of the ‘India-Japan Initiative for Sustainable Development of the North Eastern Region of India’, which includes initiative for strengthening the bamboo value chain in the northeast and cooperation in health care, forest resources management, connectivity and tourism in different states of the northeast region.

• They reaffirmed their resolve to make the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership more robust and complementary in view of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2022 through people-to-people exchanges, tourism and sports. 

India-Japan relations

• Following World War II, India did not attend the San Francisco Conference in 1945 but decided to conclude a separate peace treaty with Japan in 1952 after its sovereignty was fully restored, marking a defining moment in the bilateral relations and setting the tone for the future. 

• India and Japan established diplomatic relations in April 1952. 

• In 1991, Japan was among the few countries that bailed India out of the balance of payment crisis.

• The visit of the Japanese PM Yoshiro Mori to India in 2000 led to a significant and qualitative shift in India-Japan relations with the establishment of the ‘Global Partnership’ between the two sides. The transformation of ties with Japan were provided further fillip by the decision to have annual summits between the prime ministers commencing 2006 when both sides established ‘Strategic and Global Partnership’. 

• In 2014, both sides upgraded bilateral relations to ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’. 

• Apart from the annual summits, the annual Foreign Minister level Strategic Dialogue, Defense Ministers Meeting, NSA-level Dialogue, Ministerial level 2+2 and FOC Consultations and other bilateral dialogue mechanisms ensure regular high level and functional engagements.

• Japan has been extending bilateral loan and grant assistance to India since 1958 and is the largest bilateral donor for India. 

• Japanese official development assistance (ODA) supports India’s efforts for accelerated economic development particularly in priority areas like power, transportation, environmental projects and projects related to basic human needs. Japan continues to be India’s largest donor of bilateral ODA, with an ODA commitment of approximately $3.7 billion in 2019-20.

• The Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail, the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC), the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor with twelve industrial townships, the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC) are all mega projects assisted by Japan.

• In view of synergies and complementarities between the two nations, India-Japan Digital Partnership (I-JDP) was launched in October 2018 furthering existing areas of cooperation as well as new initiatives.

• On the economic front, Japan continues to be a key partner in India’s growth and socioeconomic development. In the recent past, the India Japan relationship has transformed to a partnership of great substance and purpose. Japan’s interest in India is increasing due to a variety of reasons including India’s large and growing market and its resources, especially the human resources. 

• In September 2020, the two countries signed the Agreement on Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Self-Defence Forces of Japan and the Indian Armed Forces (so called “Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement” or ACSA). The agreement will help in enhancing cooperation in the areas of maritime security and maritime domain awareness.

• Both sides conduct bilateral military exercises. The fifth edition of JIMEX, between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force, was held in Arabian Sea in October 2021. In October 2019, the second edition of bilateral military exercise — Dharma Guardian — between Indian and Japanese Armies was conducted in Mizoram. 

• India and Japan are part of the Quad, or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. It is an informal grouping of four countries — Australia, India, Japan and the United States.

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