New Delhi

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday evening on a three-day official visit during which India and Japan are expected to expand cooperation in economic security, resilient supply chains, emerging technologies, defence, maritime security and investment.

Takaichi, who is visiting India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was received at the airport by Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh.

Welcoming the Japanese leader, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that the visit represents another significant milestone in strengthening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

This is Takaichi's first official visit to India since assuming office. During her stay from July 1 to July 3, she will hold summit talks with Prime Minister Modi, participate in the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit and attend the India-Japan Business Forum alongside leading business representatives from both countries.

Before departing from Tokyo, Takaichi highlighted the growing strategic significance of India in Japan's foreign policy, noting that increasing global uncertainty has made closer cooperation between the two countries more important than ever.

She said her discussions with Prime Minister Modi would centre on three key priorities: strengthening the strategic partnership, enhancing cooperation in economic security and promoting greater collaboration between Indian and Japanese businesses to encourage investment and innovation.

The Japanese Prime Minister also emphasised the role of the private sector in bilateral ties, noting that over 150 representatives from Japan's business community are expected to participate in the India-Japan Economic Forum.

She further said regional security and the Indo-Pacific would be important themes during her discussions with Modi, stressing that both democratic nations share responsibility for promoting peace and stability in the region. Takaichi added that she also looked forward to further strengthening her personal rapport with the Indian Prime Minister during the visit.

Earlier in the day, the Indian Embassy in Tokyo wished the Japanese delegation a safe journey, stating that preparations had been completed in New Delhi for the high-level visit.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the annual summit will enable both leaders to review the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation while exchanging views on regional and global developments.

Diplomatic sources said the discussions are expected to focus heavily on economic engagement, strategic coordination and cooperation in critical technologies. Investment, innovation, semiconductors, critical minerals and resilient supply chains are likely to feature prominently as both countries seek to enhance economic security amid evolving global challenges.

The leaders are also expected to deliberate on expanding maritime security cooperation and defence technology collaboration. Officials indicated that both sides are exploring the development of an "Industrial Value Chain" linking the Bay of Bengal with India's Northeast to strengthen regional connectivity and manufacturing.

The India-Japan Business Forum will provide an opportunity for business leaders to identify new investment avenues. Among the proposals expected to be discussed are cooperation in artificial intelligence, a large-scale green ammonia project in Odisha, expanded collaboration in biogas and initiatives under POWERR Asia to strengthen regional resilience.

The summit is also expected to produce a Joint Statement reaffirming the strategic partnership, along with several agreements and memoranda of understanding covering artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals, batteries, critical minerals and energy resilience.

India and Japan elevated their ties to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014 and have steadily broadened cooperation across sectors including defence, infrastructure, trade, digital technologies, clean energy, healthcare and people-to-people exchanges.

The upcoming summit builds on the momentum generated during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Tokyo in August 2025 for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit. At that meeting, both sides adopted a Joint Vision for the Next Decade focusing on economic security, technology, innovation, sustainability, mobility and state-prefecture partnerships. They also signed a Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation, launched the India-Japan Economic Security Initiative covering resilient supply chains and critical technologies, and unveiled an Action Plan for Human Resource Exchange aimed at facilitating the movement of more than 500,000 people between the two countries over five years.

Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Takaichi had also met on the sidelines of the G7 Summit last month, where they reaffirmed their commitment to expanding bilateral trade and investment.

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With strategic convergence continuing to deepen and economic cooperation expanding across multiple sectors, the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit is expected to further strengthen relations between New Delhi and Tokyo while advancing their shared vision of a free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific.