India, Japan Explore Tech Collaboration, Reaffirm 5 Trillion Yen Japanese Investment Target

India and Japan on Thursday held discussions on joint collaboration in critical and emerging technologies, including semiconductors, as part of efforts to review and strengthen their Special Strategic and Global Partnership. The talks took place in New Delhi during the 15th India-Japan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, where “comprehensive discussions” covered a wide range of issues of bilateral, regional, and global significance.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his visiting counterpart from Japan, Yoshimasa Hayashi, emphasised the crucial role of a strong and enduring partnership in ensuring a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The two sides also highlighted the importance of achieving the target of five trillion Yen Japanese investment in India in the period 2022-27, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Hayashi is on a two-day visit to India, his second such trip in the last five months. After the key meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Jaishankar stated that talks covered a host of issues including, political, defence, economic, critical technology and people-to-people domains.

“Our convergence is visible in a range of activities and commitments, from East Asia and ASEAN to South Asia and East Africa. Shared endeavours in Quad, EAS and UN are also taking forward the vision of our leaderships. Exchanged views on counter-terrorism and non-proliferation. Also shared perspectives on Indo-Pacific and the G20,” the minister said.

According to a statement put out by MEA, the India-Japan foreign ministers’ strategic dialogue reaffirmed the commitment of both sides to strengthen their special strategic and global partnership. “They explored potential areas of collaboration in critical and emerging technologies, including semiconductors; resilient supply chains; and digital public infrastructure, among others,” it said.

The MEA said the ministers also expressed satisfaction at the strengthening of the defence and security cooperation, including regular exercises and staff talks between all three services. “In this context, they discussed way forward to deepen defence equipment and technology cooperation,” it said.

“The ministers exchanged views on regional and global issues of interest. They emphasised the crucial role of strong and enduring partnership between India and Japan in ensuring a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific region that is inclusive and rules-based,” the MEA said.

According to the statement, Jaishankar and Hayashi also discussed cooperation under multilateral and plurilateral frameworks, including the Quad. “They agreed on the need for early reforms of the UNSC. They also exchanged views on their respective G20 and G7 presidencies,” the MEA said.

Acknowledging the importance of people-to-people exchanges, the two ministers noted the celebration of 2023 as the ‘Year of India-Japan Tourism Exchanges’ with the theme of ‘Connecting Himalayas with Mount Fuji’. Besides this, they also discussed ways to promote the movement of skilled human resources from India to Japan.

“The meeting further deepened bilateral cooperation and set the stage for enhanced collaboration on regional and global issues,” the MEA said.