Free and rules-based Indo-Pacific a shared priority for India and Japan: PM Modi

A “free and rules-based Indo-Pacific” is a common priority for India and Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday while welcoming his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi for the annual bilateral summit. Mr. Modi said India and Japan will jointly develop technologies that will help in maintaining maritime security and “regional peace”.

“India and Japan are among the biggest economies of the world. A free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific is our shared priority. We will jointly pave the way for peace, stability and progress for the entire region,” said Mr. Modi.

“In the field of defence, India and Japan have done the first agreement for co-development of projects. This agreement on naval radio antennas will open a new chapter of defence technology partnership. Now, we will jointly develop such technologies that will help in maintaining regional peace, maritime security and strengthening the rules-based order,” the Prime Minister added.

Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Takaichi renewed her call for an updated free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) and emphasised the need for “strategic cooperation”.

For regional stability

Ms. Takaichi, who arrived in New Delhi on July 1 for her first visit to India as Prime Minister, highlighted the importance of maritime security as the key to maintaining regional stability in the Indo-Pacific region. “Expansion of maritime security is especially important for regional peace and stability,” she said, highlighting the harmony between Japan’s call for FOIP and the Government of India’s emphasis on the ocean as a “shared space” that can sustain economic growth and safeguard sovereignty. “In the midst of international affairs in disarray, the establishment of such an inter-complementary, cooperative relationship has become ever more important,” she stated.

The Japanese Prime Minister said the two sides are “perfectly aligned” to advance common goals like FOIP. She expressed concern about the situation in the Gulf region, where at least 31 Japanese vessels remain stranded near the Strait of Hormuz.

Major deals

Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Takaichi attended an economic forum in which Indian and Japanese companies sealed at least 129 MoUs on technology, investment and Artificial Intelligence (AI). According to a document shared by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Japan is on track to invest $1 trillion across States ranging from the Northeast region to Haryana, Odisha, Maharashtra and Gujarat, among others.

Both countries agreed to cooperate in the fields of semiconductors, critical minerals, clean energy, information and communication technology, and pharmaceuticals. Without mentioning the dominance of China on critical supply chains, the two sides also discussed the need to reduce “dependence on single-country supply chains” and highlighted the need to “address the weaponisation of economic dependencies through resilient supply chains”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi exchanges a handshake with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the India-Japan Joint Economic Forum in New Delhi on July 2, 2026.
| Photo Credit:
ANI

Interacting with the media later in the evening, Japanese officials said that bilateral cooperation in defence equipment and technology is progressing through industry agreements. They emphasised that the defence technologies being exported are intended for “defence purposes and not for warfare”.

The two sides called for expediting the next round of the India-Japan 2+2 Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue before the end of the year to advance bilateral defence projects. The two sides also announced deepening bilateral defence cooperation through joint military exercises, particularly naval exercises in the Indian Ocean and expanding Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).

The two sides highlighted the need to collaborate in addressing energy security needs in the backdrop of the disruption in the Persian Gulf region and supported the idea of “strategic stockpiling of crude oil” to serve bilateral requirements. Japan is diversifying energy suppliers in the backdrop of the crisis in West Asia, said Japanese officials.

During official talks, they expressed concerns over “China’s growing military expenditure and coercive activities” and supported the need to resolve the Taiwan-related issues through dialogue. The Japanese delegation also highlighted concerns about North Korean military activities and called for denuclearisation of North Korea. “Japan seeks dialogue with China while avoiding escalation despite economic restrictions imposed on Japanese companies,” they said.