Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar in talks on January 16. (©Ministry of Foreign Affairs.)
Recently, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi visited India, which was very important for a host of reasons. He was in India from January 15 to 17 for the 18th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue.
Motegi's visit was the first high-level visit after the Indian prime minister traveled to Japan in August 2025. Shigeru Ishiba was Japan's prime minister at that time. Since then, Sanae Takaichi has taken over as the prime minister, and the external environment has also changed. In the meantime, Prime Minister Takaichi has already had a telephonic conversation with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Why Was the Visit Important?
Before arriving in India, Motegi had already visited Israel, the Palestinian Territories, Qatar, and the Philippines. There were several important agendas in the visit, especially in light of Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific Initiative and India's interest in balancing a belligerent China.
On the side, although the relations between India and the United States had gone downhill in the last couple of years, things seem to be improving recently, particularly in light of the arrival of the new US Ambassador to India.
What are Japan's Challenges?
Japan is in a difficult neighborhood at the moment, especially with the belligerence shown by Beijing towards Japan. This was highlighted by Beijing's behavior following PM Sanae Takaichi's comments about Taiwan. Her comments led to a series of threatening steps from the Chinese side, such as the reduction in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Japan, among others. In addition, relations with other neighbors, like North Korea and Russia, seem to be getting no better.
From a business perspective, India is very important for Japan. Foreign Minister Motegi noted in an article in the Indian media that, "[A] survey among Japanese companies, conducted by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation, has ranked India as the most promising destination for overseas business expansion for four consecutive years."
At the same time, India will continue to be very important for Japan in the years to come. Political ties between Japan and China are going downhill, and Beijing has already started export restrictions on Japan in the field of rare earths.
Takeaways from the India Visit
Regarding economic security cooperation, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar and Foreign Minister Motegi confirmed that they would promote cooperation in building resilient supply chains.
In this context, they agreed to launch the Japan–India Private-Sector Dialogue on Economic Security within the first quarter of 2026. The initiative should translate into concrete action in five priority areas identified during PM Modi's August visit to Japan. Those are semiconductors, critical minerals, information and communication technology, clean energy, and pharmaceuticals.
Under the Japan–India AI Cooperation Initiative (JAI), both Ministers concurred to establish the JAI Strategic Dialogue to promote concrete cooperation in the field of AI. Additionally, both sides also decided to convene a Joint Working Group on critical minerals under their Economic Security Initiative.
India's Importance for Japan
In his opening remarks, Indian External Affairs Minister Dr Jaishankar noted, "I think both our countries attach enormous importance to it, and how to de-risk our own economies, and how to de-risk the international economy are both very important." This is particularly important as many countries, including Japan, are trying to diversify from the Chinese economy.
At the same time, India has borne the brunt of US sanctions. It has been looking at other trading partners in Asia and Europe, and Japan fits the bill perfectly. India has human resources and Japan needs human resources in many niche areas, especially in light of its declining population.
During this visit, the two sides also agreed to continue to cooperate in improving the connectivity in Northeast India, which is an important aspect of India's "Act-East Policy" and Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision. It is worth noting that 2026 also marks the 10th anniversary of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision.
Challenges
There are quite a few challenges when it comes to Japan-India relations. One is the fact that India has close ties with Russia, unlike Japan, whose foreign policy is more in alignment with its biggest ally — the United States. In addition, the total trade between India and Japan is still very low when compared to Japan's total trade, especially with countries like China and the United States.
Then there is cooperation in organizations like the Quad and the proposed G4 (along with Brazil and Germany). In addition, Japan and India are collaborating in organizations like the G20. Japan has played a key role in India's development story through its Overseas Development Assistance (ODA), and this is the right time to take it to the next level.
Highlighting Flagship Projects
During his visit, Motegi also took a ride in the Delhi Metro. This is one of the flagship projects that has been supported in a big way by Japanese ODA to India.
It is also worth mentioning that work is going on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed railway corridor, with Japanese financial and technological assistance. At the same time, Indian railway technicians are undergoing training in Japan for the same.
In 2027, India and Japan will celebrate 75 years of the establishment of diplomatic relations. This is a very important landmark for both countries. Hence, Foreign Minister Motegi's India visit comes not a day too soon.
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Author: Dr Rupakjyoti Borah
Dr Borah is a Senior Research Fellow with the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies, Tokyo. The views expressed here are personal.
