Embassy of India

Tokyo

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India-Japan Bilateral Relations

India and Japan share a ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’. Friendship between the two countries has a long history rooted in spiritual affinity and strong cultural and civilizational ties. The Shichifukujin or the seven lucky gods of Japan have their roots in Hindu traditions. An early documented direct contact with Japan was with the Todaiji Temple in Nara, where the consecration or eye-opening of the towering statue of Lord Buddha was performed by an Indian monk Bodhisena in 752 AD. In contemporary times, prominent Indians associated with Japan were Swami Vivekananda, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, entrepreneur JRD Tata, freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Rash Behari Bose and Justice Radha Binod Pal. The sole dissenting voice of Justice Radha Binod Pal at the War Crimes Tribunal struck a deep chord among the Japanese public, that continues to reverberate to this day. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru donated an Indian elephant to the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo in 1949 which was greatly appreciated by the Japanese people. The Japan-India Association set up in 1903 is the oldest international friendship body in Japan.

2. After World War-II, India did not attend the San Francisco Conference but decided to conclude a separate Peace Treaty with Japan on 28 April 1952, marking the beginning of diplomatic relations. Since then, the relations have matured over the years to cover a wide range of areas of cooperation including political, defense and security, economic, science and technology, education, cultural and people to people exchange. There is growing strategic convergence between the two countries. There is synergy between India's Act-East Policy, Indo-Pacific vision based on the principle of SAGAR, and Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) on one hand, and Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision on the other. Japan has agreed to lead cooperation on the Connectivity pillar of IPOI. Japan has also joined India led initiatives such as International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT). India and Japan are also cooperating under Quad framework and India-Japan-Australia Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI).

Summit and other high level political engagement

3. In the first decade after diplomatic ties were established, several high-level exchanges took place, including visits to India by Japanese PM Nobusuke Kishi, Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko, and visits to Japan by PM Jawaharlal Nehru and President Rajendra Prasad. India-Japan relations were elevated to ‘Global Partnership’ in 2000, ‘Strategic and Global Partnership’ in 2006, and ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’ in 2014. Regular Annual Summits have been held between India and Japan since 2006. The year 2013 was a monumental year that saw the first ever visit of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko to India. Earlier, PM Shinzo Abe, during his visit to India in 2007, had delivered the famous "The Confluence of Two Seas" speech in the Indian parliament. He also participated in Republic Day celebrations as the Chief Guest in 2014. He was conferred with Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honor in 2021. President Ram Nath Kovind visited Japan in October 2019 to attend the Enthronement Ceremony of the Emperor of Japan, His Majesty Naruhito.

4. On 19-20 March 2022, PM Kishida paid an official visit to India to hold the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit. Both sides agreed on a joint statement titled, "Partnership for a Peaceful, Stable and Prosperous Post-COVID World". At the summit, both leaders noted with appreciation that since elevation of ties to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership, there had been significant growth in economic cooperation and expressed their shared intention to realize JPY 5 trillion of public and private investment and financing from Japan to India in the next five years, to finance appropriate public and private projects of mutual interest. They also recalled the establishment of the Japan-India Industrial Competitiveness Partnership (IJICP) in November 2021 and welcomed the formulation of a Roadmap under the IJICP. Both sides welcomed the launch of the India-Japan Clean Energy Partnership (CEP), signed the exchange of notes concerning seven yen loan projects in which Japan will provide over 300 billion yen ($2.7 billion) in total. PM Kishida and PM Modi also met on the sidelines of the 2nd Quad Leader’s Summit held in Tokyo on 24 May 2022. PM Modi visited Japan on 27 September 2022 to participate in State Funeral of former Japanese PM Abe Shinzo Abe, and he also held a meeting with PM Kishida during the visit.

5. PM Kishida visited India between 19-23 March 2023 and held a bilateral meeting with PM Modi. PM Kishida delivered a policy speech titled “the Future of the Indo-Pacific—Japan’s New Plan for a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’ — ‘Together with India, as an Indispensable Partner’ – at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). During the visit, both sides renewed Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on Japanese Language that was originally signed in 2017, focusing on higher level language learning and signed Exchange of Notes for the 4th tranche installment of JICA ODA Loan of JPY 300 Billion (INR 18,000 crores) on Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Railway Project. India and Japan also announced 2023 as "India-Japan Year of Tourism Exchange” with the theme “Connecting Himalayas with Mount Fuji” which has been further extended to year 2024. Ministry of Environment of Japan and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India, signed an Aide Memoire on the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM). In May 2023, PM Modi visited Japan to attend the G7 Summit in Hiroshima. During the visit, PM Modi held bilateral meetings with a number of leaders, including with PM Kishida. In a solemn ceremony, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was also unveiled near the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. On 9-10 September 2023, PM Kishida visited New Delhi for the G20 Summit and met with PM Modi. They discussed their priorities for their respective G7 and G20 Presidencies, particularly in bringing the aspirations of the Global South to the fore. On 14 June 2024, PM Kishida met PM Modi on the sidelines of G7 Puglia Summit in Italy and noted that 2024 marks a decade since the establishment of India-Japan Special, Strategic and Global Partnership.

6. PM Modi met PM Ishiba on 10 October 2024 in Vientiane, Loas on the sidelines of ASEAN related summit and held a discussion on enhancing cooperation in infrastructure, connectivity, defence and other areas.

7. Apart from the annual summits, regular exchanges take place at other high levels including Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, and National Security Adviser (NSA). 17^th round of Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue was held in New Delhi on 20 August 2024. Most recent round of Foreign Office Consultations (FOC) was held on 08 February 2024 between Foreign Secretary and Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Takehiro Funakoshi. Foreign Secretary also held the Foreign Secretary – Vice Minister Dialogue with Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Masataka Okano on 08 February 2024. 3rd round of 2+2 Ministerial meeting was held in Tokyo on20 August 2024. Defense Ministerial Meeting was also held on the sidelines of 2+2 Ministerial. The latest and 5th round of NSA level dialogue was held in November 2019 in New Delhi. 2^nd Deputy National Security Advisors meeting was held in August 2023. EAM visited Tokyo and attended the QUAD Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on 29 July 2024.

8. There were several Ministerial level visits from India to Japan and vice versa in connection with the Presidencies of the G20 and G7, held by India and Japan, respectively in 2023. State Minister of Foreign Affairs Shunsuke Takei visited India to attend the G20 Development Ministers Meeting from 11-13 June 2023. Agriculture Minister Testsuro Nomura attended the G20 Agricultural Ministers’ Meeting in Hyderabad from 15-17 June 2023. Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki and Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda attended the G20 Finance Minister and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Gandhinagar on 17-18 July 2023. METI Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi visited India to attend the G20 Energy Transition Ministerial Meeting in Goa on 22 July 2023. During the visit, he also held bilateral meetings with his counterparts from the Ministry of Steel, Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology and Ministry of Commerce & Industry. From 17-20 August 2023, Digital Minister Taro Kono visited India to participate in the G20 Digital Economy Ministers Meeting; he subsequently again visited India on 27-28 December 2023 to give a talk at IIT Bombay. To attend G7 Ministerial meetings held under Japan’s G7 Presidency, Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Shri Bhupender Yadav, Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology and Railways Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri Mansukh Mandaviya and Commerce & Industry Minister, Shri Piyush Goyal visited Japan in 2023.

9. Parliamentary Exchanges: Regular exchanges have been held between parliamentarians since 2016. In 2023, FICCI Forum of Parliamentarians delegation from India, led by Member of Lok Sabha Rajiv Pratap Rudy, visited Japan from 09-13 October 2023 and CII – Sasakawa Peace Foundation delegation of Member of Parliamentarians of India led by Mr. Vincent Pala visited from 25 November to 02 December 2023. Former LDP Policy Research Council Chief Koichi Hagiuda and former State Minister for Health, Labour and Welfare Shinako Tsuchiya visited India separately in the month of January 2023. Former Prime Minister and current Chairman of Japan India Association Yoshihide Suga visited India with the Ganesha Group of MPs and a business delegation from 05-08 July 2023. During the visit he also met the Prime Minister. Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan, Mr. Nukaga Fukushiro, visited India along with a delegation of Japanese parliamentarians and business leaders and met PM Modi on 01 August 2024.

10. India-Japan Act East Forum: Established in December 2017, the Act East Forum aims to provide a platform for India-Japan collaboration under the rubric of India’s “Act East Policy” and Japan’s “Vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific”. The Forum identifies specific projects for economic modernization of India’s North-East region such as those pertaining to connectivity, developmental infrastructure, industrial linkages as well as people-to-people contacts. The 7^th meeting of the India-Japan Act East Forum was convened on 19 February 2024 in New Delhi. The meetings reviewed progress of the cross-border survey for improving trade and logistics between India and Bangladesh through North East, and ongoing projects in various areas including connectivity, new and renewable energy, urban development, forest management, skill development, agriculture and fisheries, healthcare, capacity building in disaster resilient infrastructure, agro-industries, tourism and cultural exchange, and Japanese language education. Views on possible new areas of cooperation were also exchanged.

11. Civil Nuclear Cooperation: Agreement on Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy was signed during the visit of PM Modi to Japan in November 2016. The bill came into force in July 2017 with the completion of internal procedures on both sides.

12. Defense Cooperation: India-Japan Defense and Security partnership forms an integral pillar of bilateral ties. India-Japan defense exchanges have gained strength in recent years due to growing convergence on strategic matters and its significance is growing from the common outlook on issues of peace, security and stability of the Indo-Pacific Region. A Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation (JDSC) between India and Japan was signed in 2008, a Memorandum of Defence Cooperation and Exchanges was signed in 2014, Agreement concerning Transfer of Defence Equipment & Technology Cooperation and Agreement concerning Security Measures for Protection of Classified Military information were signed in 2015 and Implementing Arrangement for Deeper Cooperation between Indian Navy and JMSDF as signed in 2018. The Agreement concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Self-Defense Forces of Japan and the Indian Armed Forces RPSS was signed on 9 September 2020.

13. Defense Ministerial Meeting and other high-level exchanges: The second Defense Ministerial Meeting was held in August 2024 in New Delhi. General Yasunori Morishita, Chief of Staff, JGSDF along with three-member delegation visited India from 25 – 27 September 2023 to attend the Indo-Pacific Armies Chief Conference. A three member Indian Coast Guard delegation led by Director General Rakesh Pal visited Japan from 31 October to 02 November 2023 for 3^rd Coast Guard Global Summit. General Anil Chauhan, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India, along with a three-member delegation, visited Japan from 11– 15 December 2023. Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura visited India in September 2024 and participated in Exercise Trang Shakti-24 at Jodhpur. Gen. Yoshihide Yoshida, Chief of Staff, Joint Staff visited India from in October 2024 on a bilateral visit and also participated in activities of Exercise MALABAR-24. Gen. Upendra Dwivedi, Chief of the Army Staff visited Japan in October 2024 on a bilateral visit.

14. The First Joint Service Staff Talks was held in Tokyo on 11-12 September 2023. The eighth edition of JIMEX (JIMEX 24) was held from 11-16 June 2024 in Yokosuka, Japan. The first Bilateral Fighter Exercise Veer Guardian was held in Japan in January 2023. The Army-to-Army Exercise Dharma Guardian was held in Japan in February 2023 for the first time ever since its inception in 2018. The 5th edition of Exercise Dharma Guardian was held at Mahajan Foreign Training Node, Rajasthan from 25 February to 09 March 2024. Exercise Shinnyu Maitri was conducted between the transport wings of IAF and JASDF in March 2023. Indian Naval Ship Kadmatt made a port call at Yokosuka, Japan on 28 November – 05 December 2023. The coast guards of the two countries participated in the 20^th joint exercise, 'Sahyog Kaijin' off the coast of Chennai in January 2024. Indian Navy P8I aircraft was deployed at Atsugi, Japan in April 2024 for Subject Matter Expert Exchange and Bilateral ASW exercises with JMSDF. Indian Naval Ship Shivalik visited Port of Yokusuka in June 2024.

Economic and Commercial relations

15. India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (CEPA): India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (CEPA) Agreement came into effect from 1 August 2011. The Agreement covers not only trade in goods but also services, movement of natural persons, investments, intellectual property rights, custom procedures and other trade related issues. The CEPA envisages abolition of tariffs over 94% of items traded between India and Japan over a period of 10 years. In order to further expand and strengthen the economic and business ties and address the CEPA implementation issues, various Sub-Committees have been established under CEPA in areas of Rules of Origin, Customs Procedures, Technical Regulations, Standards and Conformity Assessment Procedures & SPS Measures, Trade in Services, Improvement of Business Environment, and Movement of Natural Persons & Cooperation. A Proposal for setting up of a sub-committee on Trade in Goods under IJCEPA is also presently under discussion between both the sides.

16. Bilateral Trade: Japan’s bilateral trade with India totaled US$ 22.85 billion during FY 2023-24. Exports from Japan to India during this period were US$ 17.69 billion and imports were US$ 5.15 billion. Today, India ranks 18th in Japan’s total trade with 1.4% share while, Japan ranks 17th in India’s total trade with 2.1% share. India ranks 11th in Japan’s total exports with 2.2% share and Japan ranks 25th in India’s total exports with 1.2% share. India ranks 28th in Japan’s total imports with 0.7% share and Japan ranks 12th in India’s total imports with 2.6% share. 17. India’s primary exports to Japan are Petroleum Products, Organic Chemicals; Vehicles other than Railway or Tramway Rolling Stock, Fish and Crustaceans, Mollusca and other aquatic invertebrates; Nuclear Reactors, Boilers, Machinery and Mechanical Appliances etc. India’s primary imports from Japan are Machinery, Electrical Machinery, Iron and Steel Products, Plastic Materials, Non-Ferrous Metals, Parts of Motor Vehicles etc. The export-import statistics for the last five years as per India's Ministry of Commerce data bank are as follows: ( US Dollar billion)

18. Japan's Investments in India: In the Japan Bank for International Cooperation’s FY2023 Survey on Overseas Business Operations by Japanese Manufacturing Companies, India was ranked topmost in the list of ‘promising countries/regions’ for business development. In FY 2020, Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) Survey Report on Overseas Business Operations by Japanese Manufacturing Companies (Survey of Overseas Direct Investment by Japanese Companies) ranked India a close second to China for Japanese outward FDI in mid-term (3 years). Japanese FDI in India has increased in recent years but it remains small compared to Japan's total outward FDI. Japanese outward FDI to India in 2022-23 and 2023-24 stood at USD 1.79 billion and USD 3.1 billion respectively. Cumulatively, from 2000 until March 2024, the investments to India have been around US$ 41.91 billion ranking Japan fifth among source countries for FDI. Japanese FDI into India has mainly been in automobile, electrical equipment, telecommunications, chemical, financial (insurance) and pharmaceutical sectors.

19. Japanese Companies in India: The number of Japanese companies registered in India are 1400 as of July 2023 with manufacturing firms accounting for half the total, according to the latest joint survey by the Embassy of Japan in India and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). These Japanese companies have a total of 4901 business establishments in India. They include liaison and branch offices in India as well as local subsidiaries. More than 100 Indian companies are working in Japan. India’s Net Foreign Direct Investment in Japan during FY 2020-21 is US$ 40.91 million.

20. Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI): The Trade Ministers of India, Japan and Australia formally launched the Supply Chain Resilience initiative in a Trilateral Ministerial Meeting held virtually on 27 April 2021. The initial projects of SCRI identified are - (i) sharing of best practices on supply chain resilience; and (ii) holding investment promotion events and buyer-seller matching events to provide opportunities for stakeholders to explore the possibility of diversification of their supply chains. The Second Trilateral Ministerial meeting was held on 15 March 2022.

21. Japanese Official Development Assistance (ODA): Japan has been extending bilateral loan and grant assistance to India since 1958. Japan is the largest bilateral donor to India. Japanese 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’s ODA disbursement to India in 2023-24 stood at about JPY 580 billion.

22. India-Japan Energy Dialogue was set up in December 2006 to promote cooperation in the energy sector in a comprehensive manner. The dialogue is chaired by the Minister of Power, India and METI Minister. Till date, ten rounds of the meetings have taken place. The 10th meeting of the Japan-India Energy Dialogue was held in Delhi on 10 December 2019. India-Japan Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) was launched in March 2022.

23. India-Japan Steel Dialogue has been set up as an institutional mechanism to strengthen the relationship and cooperation in steel sector between India and Japan by improving the processes of steel production & product mix and safety of work place. The Memorandum of Cooperation on Steel sector was signed on 22 December 2020. The first Steel Dialogue under this MoC was held on 14 October 2022. The second India-Japan Steel Dialogue was held on 28 November 2023 in Tokyo, Japan.

24. India-Japan Cooperation on Textile: The exchange and signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Textiles Committee, India and M/s Nissenken Quality Evaluation Centre, Japan for improving quality and testing of Indian textiles and clothing for the Japanese market took place virtually on 27 January 2021. The 1st meeting of JWG on Textiles was held on 05 October 2020 virtually. Second meeting of the JWG was held virtually on 11 July 2023. The main points of discussion were: Possibility of cooperation between M/s Nissenken Quality Evaluation Center and Textiles Committee of India in setting up more Quality Evaluation Centres in India as per the requirement of Japanese buyers. METI expressed interest to promote investment and expand trade between Japan and India as well as expand the efforts of the human resource development program to improve the quality evaluation ecosystem.

25. India – Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership: A Memorandum of Cooperation between the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) on India – Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership was signed on November 16, 2021 to jointly explore the possibilities of enhancing India’s industrial competitiveness with a view to enhance the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between the two countries. Under the arrangement, Joint Working Group (JWG)s in different sectors ranging from Textiles and Logistic to Steel and Food Processing have been formed. The 6th meeting of the India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership was held in New Delhi on 28 June 2024. The meeting was co-chaired by Secretary, DPIIT from India and Vice Minister for International Affairs, METI from Japan.

26. India-Japan Digital Partnership (IJDP): The establishment of the India-Japan Digital Partnership (IJDP) in 2018 marked a significant milestone in bilateral economic cooperation. This partnership is fostering collaboration in areas like start-ups, digital talent exchange etc. and has now broadened further to include cooperation in semiconductors. The Memorandum of Cooperation on Semiconductor Supply Chains and the launch of a Semiconductor Policy Dialogue have expanded the scope of digital collaboration between India and Japan.

27. Skill Development: Under the India-Japan MoC signed in 2016, Japanese companies have established 35 Japan-India Institute of Manufacturing (JIM) in India and 11 Japanese Endowed Courses (JEC) in Indian Engineering Colleges. India and Japan also cooperate under Technical Intern Training Programme (TITP) and "Specified Skilled Worker" (SSW) initiative of Japan. In January 2022, Japan initiated implementation of language and skill test for nursing care and 'agriculture' category at a test centre in Gurugram. Subsequently, Guwahati (Agriculture) and Bangalore (Agriculture, Caregiving and Language) have been added. Hon'ble Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and Electronics and Information Technology, Shri Raieev Chandrasekhar announced the launch of 'India-Japan Skill Connect' and a "Skill Facilitation Cell at the Embassy on 04 August 2023. The 4th round of India-Japan Joint Working Group meeting on Skill Development was held in Tokyo on 03 October 2023, followed by an event at the Embassy titled ''India-Japan Skill Connect: Re-imagining Institutional Frameworks''. Embassy has been conducting several events all across Japan to maximize outreach in the area of Skill Development.

28. Healthcare Cooperation: Second meeting of the Japan-India Joint Committee on Healthcare was held by Health Minister of India and Japan’s Minister of Healthcare Policy on 15 May 2023. Both sides have recognized synergy between India’s AYUSHMAN Bharat Programme and Japan’s AHWIN and are working on cooperation in areas such as health-care logistics, ICT for tertiary health-care, and human resource development. The AYUSH Information Cell was launched on 11 March 2023 in the Embassy of India, Tokyo.

Railway Cooperation

29. Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) Project: The first High Speed Rail (HSR) corridor is being implemented from Mumbai to Ahmedabad with technical and financial assistance from Government of Japan. With total twelve stations in the States of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, the corridor has a length of 508.17km. HSR will be operating at a speed of 320 kmph at an elevated track above the ground on a viaduct all along except 26km in Mumbai, which will be underground. The project envisages ‘Make in India’ as well as ‘Capacity Development’ to enable Indian workforce acquire skills relevant for Shinkansen technology. National High Speed Rail Corporation Ltd (NHSRCL) has been modelled as a Special Purpose Vehicle for implementing the project. The project is monitored at the apex-level in the form of Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) co-chaired by Hon’ble Minister for Railways from the Indian side and Special Adviser to Prime Minister of Japan, on the Japanese side. The last JCM was held in April 2024.

30. Metro Rail Projects: Presently, six Metro Rail projects (Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai) are being implemented with technical and financial support from Government of Japan. JICA has extended ODA to develop these Metro systems and redesign the urban landscape through green transportation systems. Propulsion and control systems are also supplied by Japanese manufacturing companies with their base in India.

31. S&T Cooperation: S&T Cooperation was formalized through an Inter-Governmental Agreement signed in 1985. The third phase extension of Indian Beam Line at KEK Tsukuba for advanced materials research has been approved in 2024 for 5 years. DBT-AIST International Center for Translational & Environmental Research (DAICENTER) at Tsukuba, Japan and Nine SISTER labs (Satellite International Institutes for Special Training Education and Research) for drug development and therapeutic diseases in India (6), Japan (2) and Sri Lanka (1) were set-up and continuing the training. Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India visited Japan from 05-12 August 2023. The bilateral S&T Cooperation also has institutional framework with different Japanese Government Agencies involving value-based partnership on the principles of 'reciprocity and co-funding'; under this in April 2024 DST and JSPS announced the result of call for joint research proposals and decided to support about 17 research projects and 3 workshops. This is annual call under implementation arrangement between DST and JSPS, this joint call in year 2024 received 273 proposals which are about two times of previous year. Number of batches of science students visited Japan under Sakura Science program in 2024 with direct invite of JST thorough DST and Ministry of Education, institutions to institution connect. First time DST invited Japanese high school science to exposure visit to India. 15th Hope meeting held at Kyoto from February 26 to March 1, 2024, it was attended by 9 researches selected by Department of Science and Technology DST, Government of India and had opportunity to discuss interdisciplinary science with number of Nobel Laureates from Japan and other countries. Forest Survey of India (FSI) and Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan (RESTEC) signed agreed to cooperate on in the field of GIS and remote sensing in March 2024.

32. Space Cooperation between ISRO & JAXA: Space Cooperation between ISRO & JAXA: In November 2023 embassy of India celebrated the success of landing of moon, the Chairman ISRO addressed virtually and President JAXA joined physically along with other senior officials of JAXA and astronauts. In August 08, 2023 Dr. Saku Tsuneta, Vice-Chair of Japan’s Cabinet Committee on National Space Policy (CNSP) and Director General, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) visited ISRO Headquarters met Shri S. Somanath, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)/ Secretary, Department of Space (DOS) and discussed India-Japan space science cooperation including Joint LUPEX (Lunar Polar Exploration) Mission. ISRO and JAXA have active collaboration in X-ray astronomy, satellite navigation, lunar exploration and Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF). They signed an MoC in November 2016 to pursue future cooperative activities in the use and exploration of outer space exclusively for peaceful purposes under which they signed the Implementation Arrangement (IA) concerning collaborative activities on APRSAF/SAFE Agromet Project in November 2019, on rice crop area and air quality monitoring and on IRNSS Range and Integrity Monitoring Station (IRIMS) in March 2021. On 02 November 2021, the Second Meeting of the Japan-India Space Dialogue was held virtually. The dialogue provided an opportunity to exchange information on the space policy of each country and to hold discussions on space security, bilateral cooperation between JAXA and ISRO, their space industries, global navigation satellite systems, space situational awareness (SSA), space-related rules and norms, and other areas of mutual interest.

33. Environmental Cooperation: In May 2018, the 2nd Japan-India Government-Private Workshop for Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency was held for implementing the Japan-India Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Cooperation Plan. During the visit of PM Modi to Japan in October 2018, both sides signed MOC on Environmental Cooperation focusing on areas of Pollution Control, Waste Management, Environmental Technologies and Climate Change etc. The First India–Japan High Level Policy Dialogue on Environment was held virtually on 7th September 2021 between Mr. Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India and Mr. Shinjiro Koizumi, then Minister of the Environment of Japan. They discussed issues on Air Pollution, Sustainable Technologies and Transports, Climate Change, Marine Litter, Fluorocarbons, COP 26, etc. On 12-13 January 2023, Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan, and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India (MoEFCC) held the “India-Japan Environment Week” in India.

34. Education, Culture and People-to-people Exchanges: Cooperation in the field of education is being conducted through partnerships between education and research institutions, student and teacher exchange, government scholarships, promotion of Japanese language education in India etc. There are 665 academic and research partnerships (including student exchanges) between more than 138 universities/institutes of Japan and around 227 universities/institutions of India. The partnerships range from liberal arts to management & business studies, legal studies, international studies, linguistics, STEM including fast emerging frontier technologies. Apart from academic partnerships, several Indian Institutions have started ‘India-Japan Centre’, for example, IIM Bengaluru India-Japan Study Centre, IIM Nagpur Indo-Japan Research Centre, etc. Similarly, many Japanese Institutions have started research centres/labs in collaboration with India or focus on India, such as ‘International Joint Lab’ to conduct research on modernisation of law in Asia at Osaka University, ‘Indo-Japan Lab’ at Keio University, etc. Student exchange programmes, especially short-term, have enabled Indian students to visit and experience Japan. Similarly, Japanese students have been going to Indian universities for various courses including Hindi Language. Various departments of Buddhist Studies of Japanese Universities also offer papers on Sanskrit, Pali, Indian Buddhism and Indian religions & philosophy as a part of their curriculum.

35. India and Japan jointly host Samvad Conference to discuss the positive influence of traditions of democracy and nonviolence in the context of future of Asia. Six editions of Samvad Conference have been held since 2015. Last edition was held virtually in 2020. ICCR award for promotion of Buddhism studies was given to Otani Unviersity on 29 March 2022. A Quiz competition was also organised by Ministry of Tourism on Buddhist heritage in which students of Japanese Universities participated. Embassy of India, Tokyo held two online conferences on Buddhism in May and October 2021. On 15 July 2021, PM inaugurated the International Cooperation and Convention Centre Rudraksh in Varanasi which was constructed with Japanese grant assistance. The 1^st Japan-India Universities Forum meeting was held in January 2023, which brought together the top 10 Universities of India including several IITs and top 12 Universities of Japan to discuss areas of mutual cooperation, collaboration in areas of research, faculty Trainings and exchange programs and sought to promote further student exchanges. The India-Japan Edu-Connect was launched on 30 September 2023. The 3rd India-Japan Universities Forum was held on 19 October 2024 at New Delhi.

36. India-Japan Forum: The Forum has been launched with the purpose of bolstering cooperation, leveraging opportunities, exchanging ideas, building mutual trust and developing a joint agenda for future cooperation between India and Japan. The inaugural India-Japan Forum was held on 20 July 2021. Second edition was held in New Delhi on 28-29 July 2023 and was inaugurated by EAM and Foreign Minister of Japan Mr Yoshimasa Hayashi. The forum sees participation of eminent representatives of both governments, Parliament, industry, think tanks and academia.

37. Sister-State and Sister-City Cooperation: There are growing links between Japanese prefectures/cities and Indian states/cities. As of now, 7 states and 4 cities/regions from India have partnered with prefectures/cities of Japan through MoUs to cooperate under diverse sectors.

38. Indian Community in Japan: In recent years, there has been a change in the composition of the Indian community with the arrival of many professionals, including IT professionals and engineers. The Nishikasai area in Tokyo is emerging as a “mini-India”. Their growing numbers had prompted the opening of three Indian schools. Around 48,000 Indians currently live in Japan.

October 2024