Delhi-Tokyo ties face the future

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to India this week comes in a time of growing uncertainty over the US approach towards China and the Indo-Pacific. While the first Donald Trump administration adopted a confrontational policy towards Beijing and invested in building regional coalitions to contain its rise, Trump 2.0 has favoured transactional one-on-one engagement over coalition-building. The Pentagon’s decision to revert the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) to its original name, Pacific Command (PACOM), the 2025 National Security Strategy’s narrow conception of core US interests in the Indo-Pacific, and the recent Trump-Xi summit have all fuelled concerns about Washington’s reliability as a long-term partner for Asian countries wary of China. Against this backdrop, summit-level talks between PM Narendra Modi and PM Takaichi, less than a year after the former’s visit to Japan, further boost the deep-rooted Delhi-Tokyo partnership. Japan’s advanced technological capabilities, investment capacity, and growing military power make it uniquely placed to complement India’s rise.

Both countries share concerns about China’s assertiveness. India has an unresolved border, while Japan has maritime and territorial disputes. Technology is another important pillar of bilateral cooperation. Both countries seek to reduce dependence on Chinese technologies and rare earths. Japan brings capital, advanced manufacturing, and semiconductor expertise, while India offers scale, software talent and a vast market. A coordinated India-Japan strategy can help shape the value chains of the future.

The Indo-Pacific continues to be central to India’s economic and security strategy. Whether Washington’s recalibration turns out to be tactical or strategic, India must do its part by accelerating its military and technological modernisation while deepening strategic partnerships across the region. A closer partnership with Japan advances both objectives. Preserving a stable, rules-based Indo-Pacific and a favourable balance of power requires India and Japan to emerge as stronger strategic actors.