Indian prime minister Narendra Modi welcomed his Japanese counterpart Sanae Takaichi to a bilateral summit by addressing her as his “younger sister” as they signed almost 120 agreements covering AI to security to energy resilience.
Ms Takaichi arrived in India on Wednesday for a three-day state visit and the 16th annual India-Japan summit, with Delhi and Tokyo looking to strengthen economic and strategic ties through more resilient supply chains and closer cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
The two leaders shared warm praise for former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.
According to NDTV, which quoted sources inside the discussions, Ms Takaichi mentioned that she had considered Abe her “elder brother” and because Mr Modi and Abe shared a strong personal bond, she now considers the Indian PM an elder brother as well.
“I was just referred to as ‘a beautiful little sister’,” Ms Takaichi said. “In our earlier talks, we promised to work together as brother and sister.”
Mr Modi and Ms Takaichi issued four joint statements, including an agreement on their first co-development project in the defence sector. It covered everything from maritime security to AI and energy resilience.
They also signed about 120 agreements between Japanese and Indian businesses, involving private-sector investments totalling 2 trillion yen ($12.4bn), Ms Takaichi said.
But it fell short of delivering the most ambitious 10 trillion yen ($62bn) investment pledge over the next decades by Tokyo during Mr Modi’s visit to Japan last year.
“Japan and India will leverage each other’s strengths to grow strong and prosperous together,” Ms Takaichi told reporters after the talks.
“Amid a turbulent international landscape, building such a mutually complementary cooperative relationship has become increasingly important.”
Mr Modi said they will collaborate on naval radio antenna systems. He said the leaders also agreed to strengthen cooperation in artificial intelligence, shipbuilding, biogas, semiconductors and critical technologies.
Mr Modi said, “In the next 10 years we will expand investment from Japan to India to about 10 trillion yen and double the number of Japanese companies operating here.”
“We will now jointly develop defence technologies that strengthen regional peace, maritime security and the rules-based order,” Mr Modi added.
Mr Modi and Ms Takaichi welcomed plans by Japanese companies to invest around two trillion yen in India through approximately 120 business agreements, according to Japanese foreign ministry.
Ms Takaichi was leading a huge business delegation with over 50 Japanese business executives, CEOs, and industry leaders. It included Suzuki Motor, Toyota, Tsusho Itochu Corporation and representatives from other major firms in sectors like automobiles, semiconductors, infrastructure, and technology.
Japan is one of India’s largest foreign investors and has backed major infrastructure projects, including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail line. There are about 1,400 Japanese companies operating in India, nearly half of them in manufacturing.
The Indian foreign ministry said the two leaders held “wide-ranging talks on the full spectrum of India-Japan ties, including trade and investment, economic security, energy, emerging technologies, defence and people-to-people exchanges”.
Both sides adopted three “landmark” documents on economic security, energy resilience and AI, it added.
“The convergence of Japan’s precision technology and India’s software capabilities will give a new momentum and strength to global AI development,” Mr Modi told reporters.
The visit comes at a delicate moment for India, which remains heavily dependent on China for the machinery, components and rare earths underpinning its manufacturing ambitions, even as it seeks to diversify supply chains with partners such as Japan.
New Delhi has also been cautiously trying to stabilise ties with Beijing after years of tensions.
That contrasts sharply with Ms Takaichi’s hawkish stance on China. She angered Beijing in November by suggesting Japan could become involved in military action if China attacked Taiwan.
“Expansion of maritime security cooperation is especially important for regional peace and stability,” Ms Takaichi said.
She announced Japan and India will continue to perform joint naval exercises in the Indian ocean.
The relationship between the two countries, she said, “has become ever more important.”
Neither prime minister took questions during their press address.