Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will undertake her first official visit to India from July 1 to July 3, 2026, to participate in the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit in New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed the visit on Friday, stating that Takaichi is visiting at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Summit Agenda and Bilateral Review
According to an MEA press release, the annual summit will allow both leaders to review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest. The MEA noted that the summit will provide an opportunity to strengthen the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
This visit follows Prime Minister Modi's trip to Tokyo in August 2025 for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening cooperation across strategic, economic, technological, and security domains.
Previous Engagements and Joint Initiatives
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Modi met Takaichi on the sidelines of the 52nd G7 Summit in France, where they discussed enhancing economic cooperation with a focus on trade and investment. Modi posted on X: "Had a great interaction with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan. India and Japan will continue to deepen ties in diverse sectors, with a priority on trade and investment."
During the 15th summit in Tokyo, Modi and then-Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba adopted a joint statement titled "Partnership for Security and Prosperity of Our Next Generation." They also unveiled a Joint Vision for the Next Decade, outlining cooperation across eight pillars: economy, economic security, mobility, environment, technology and innovation, healthcare, people-to-people exchanges, and state-prefecture engagement.
Security and Talent Mobility Initiatives
A Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation was adopted to elevate defence and security ties in line with evolving geopolitical realities in the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, an Action Plan for India-Japan Human Resource Exchange and Cooperation was announced, aiming to exchange over 500,000 personnel over the next five years, including the movement of 50,000 skilled professionals from India to Japan.
The two prime ministers also launched the India-Japan Economic Security Initiative to strengthen resilient supply chains for critical goods and strategic sectors, with priority areas including telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, critical minerals, semiconductors, and clean energy.
Long-Standing Partnership
India and Japan share a Special Strategic and Global Partnership spanning trade and investment, defence and security, infrastructure, high-speed rail, digital technologies, clean energy, and people-to-people exchanges. The MEA emphasized that Takaichi's visit reflects the shared commitment to further enhance this partnership.
