Leaders reaffirmed the Special Strategic and Global Partnership and vowed to build a complementary relationship that leverages each other’s strengths to tackle future challenges.

Analyst background notes that Indo-Pacific strategic studies are shaping the current assessment of the partnership.

Bilateral trade rose to about $25.17 billion in 2026 from $21 billion in 2023-24, with Japan as a major source of India’s FDI, totaling roughly $43 billion over 25 years and plans for about $68 billion more in the next decade in AI, semiconductors, startups, and tech collaboration.

A renewed push in December 2025 through high-level discussions set the stage for expanding people-to-people exchanges and advancing the Japan-India Human Resource Exchange and Cooperation plan to facilitate 500,000 two-way participants over five years.

The partnership is being elevated, with commitments to broaden investment, manufacturing, technology collaboration, and social and economic value creation for future generations.

Cultural exchanges and soft-power gestures, such as the Japan Travel Fair 2026 in India and symbolic cricket memorabilia during strategic dialogues, underscore trusted ties alongside security and tech cooperation.

Security dynamics, including concerns about China, the Taiwan Strait, and Senkaku tensions, underpin joint efforts to maintain a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.

Japan views India as a prime destination for overseas business expansion and a reliable partner for investing in India, reflecting a large and growing market for Japanese investment.

The Japan-India relationship is entering a more dynamic phase, moving from traditional diplomacy to a comprehensive partnership centered on security, technology, and shared democratic values, driven by Indo-Pacific strategic interests and growing people-to-people ties.

A formal roadmap agreed during high-level visits aims to facilitate a two-way exchange of 500,000 people over five years, expanding sectors such as investment, innovation, environment, technology, health, mobility, and people-to-people exchanges.

Both sides emphasize a free, open, rules-based Indo-Pacific and strengthen security cooperation and co-created capabilities amid global uncertainties.

During Modi’s 2025 Japan visit, leaders highlighted progress and the need to reinforce security cooperation within the Special Strategic and Global Partnership.