Prime Minister Narendra Modi watches a naval and air show aboard aircraft carrier "INS Vikramaditya." (Official website of the Prime Minister of India)
Japan's historical relaxation of restrictions on defense exports to its security partners, including India, has the potential to unlock a new era in India–Japan defense relations, according to experts in India. Despite being special strategic and global partners, India–Japan defense ties have grown incrementally over the years.
A myriad of factors–complex technology transfer regulations, bureaucratic hurdles, export control mechanisms, cost competitiveness, to name a few–have shackled the growth of defense ties between the two nations.
However, as Japan relaxes its decades-old constitutional restraints on defense exports and India is aspiring to aggressively modernize its defense capabilities, the two friendly nations now stand at the cusp of reinvigorating their defense partnership
The New Defense Export Policy
On April 21, 2026, the Japanese cabinet led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announced the end of restrictions on the sale of lethal weapons and on technology transfers to a defined list of 17 countries with which Japan has defense pacts.
Prior to this, the sale of finished defense equipment was limited to five non-combative categories–rescue, transportation, warning, surveillance, and minesweeping.
Prime Minister Takaichi explained the historical shift in a post on X, saying, "In an increasingly severe security environment, no single country can now protect its own peace and security alone."
The new policy effectively allows the sale of warships, fighter jets, missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicles. It must be noted that the sales will be strictly monitored by the government and would need to be approved by the National Security Council of Japan.
India's Perspective on the New Policy
India officially and exuberantly welcomed Japan's policy change just two days after the announcement. India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, remarked in a press briefing, "India welcomes Japan's review of the three principles on transfer of defense equipment and technology.
Defense and security cooperation forms an important pillar of India-Japan special strategic and global partnership. As part of the joint declaration on security cooperation between India and Japan, both sides have committed to increase practical cooperation in the interest of their national security and continued economic dynamism."
This rather frank admission of India's excitement about Japan's new defense export policy has found an echo among India's strategic expert community as well.
In an exclusive interview, Mr Peeush Srivastava, managing editor of the online portal JapanCalling.in and an expert on India–Japan relations, said, "Japan's more flexible defense export framework could facilitate collaboration in areas such as naval systems, unmanned technologies and defense manufacturing, where India is actively seeking to strengthen its indigenous capabilities."
In this context, it is pertinent to note that India is seeking to diversify its defense procurement partners and enhance its credentials as a defense manufacturing hub – both of which align with Japan's new defense export policy.
Soon after the announcement on April 21, reports suggested that Japan had offered India its designs for the Mogami-class warship and plans to build the frigates in Indian shipyards. It has not been confirmed by either government, though.
Writing for India's World, Bhashyam Kasturi, former director of the National Security Council Secretariat, India, noted, "For India, the latest decision of the Japanese Cabinet provides an opportunity to deepen defense ties, as Japan will be a stable supply-chain partner if engaged properly."
The Friend of My Enemy
There has been a long-standing strategic convergence between India and Japan regarding the threats posed by a militarily assertive China. India has land boundary disputes with China and Japan has historical disputes over islands in the East China Sea.
The growing understanding in India is that, with an accessible partnership with Japan's state-of-the-art defense industry and India's scalable manufacturing capabilities, coupled with its vast need for rapid procurement of defense products, political agreements can now translate into practical defense cooperation to challenge Chinese militarism.
The urgency of India was underscored during the brief yet extremely consequential Operation Sindoor that India launched against Pakistan after the Pahalgam terror attacks. The Pakistani use of Chinese warplanes, weapons systems, air defenses, and real-time surveillance was widely acknowledged and noted by the Indian military leadership.
Promise and Pitfalls
Despite the optimism, future defense partnerships could face hurdles. Mr Srivastava cautions, "Bureaucratic procedures, cost considerations as well as technology transfer negotiations will continue to shape the pace of progress."
Writing for India's premier think tank, Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), Lt Gen Anil Ahuja also submits, "There are, however, substantial structural challenges in furthering this relationship, including: a nascent defense export culture, lingering constitutional and public sensitivities in Japan, and complex defense acquisition procedures on both sides."
The past failure of the ShinMaywa US-2 amphibian aircraft procurement deal from Japan to India highlights the challenges. At present, though, the security situation has evolved significantly, and the global geopolitical instability has necessitated enhanced cooperation between friendly nations such as India and Japan.
Professor Purnendra Jain, writing for India's eminent think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF), notes, "Japan is steadily positioning itself as a security provider, using defense cooperation and arms exports to deepen strategic alignment, respond to regional demand, and enhance collective deterrence."
All in all, it is unmistakable that there is renewed vigor in the aspirational future of India–Japan defense cooperation after the new defense export policy is adopted.
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Author: Devadeep Chowdhury
