India Japan Relations

Motivated primarily by shared concerns about China – developing a closer defence partnership defined by regular maritime exercises and highlevel political consultations

Complementarities between the two countries 

• Japan’s ageing population and India’s youthful dynamism
• India’s rich natural and human resources and Japan’s advanced technology
• India’s prowess in services and Japan’s excellence in manufacturing
• Japan’s surplus capital for investments and India’s large and growing markets & middle class

Cooperation from Japan

• Japan has been extending bilateral loan and grant assistance to India since 1958. Japan is the largest bilateral donor to India in priority areas like power, transportation, environmental projects & Infra development –

• New Delhi metro network.
• Western Dedicated Freight Corridor
• Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor
• Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor

• Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
• To build upon cooperation in the field of smart cities
• Modernisation and expansion of conventional railway system in India
• Consolidation of security and defence cooperation
• MOU between JAXA and ISRO concerning Cooperation in the Field of Outer Space
• A dedicated task force having representatives of both countries for phased transfer of technology for success of Make in India

India Japan Civil Nuclear Deal, 2016 

• Enables Japan to export nuclear power plant technology as well as provide finance for nuclear power plants in India
• Now Companies involved in nuclear reactor programme of India can source the most critical equipment in a reactor — Steel reactor vessel from Japan
• A major achievement for India as it is Japan’s first civilian nuclear cooperation pact with a country that has not signed the nuclear NPT
• The agreement confirms India’s position in front of the world as a responsible nuclear nation which uses nuclear energy peacefully
• Will boost India’s strategy to pursue a low-carbon growth model in decades to come

Asia Africa Growth Corridor

• Indian and Japanese governments unveiled a vision document for the Asia Africa Growth Corridor.
• It is an attempt to create a “free and open Indo-Pacific region” by rediscovering ancient sea-routes and creating new sea corridors that will link the African continent with India and countries in South-Asia and South-East Asia.

• Japan’s contribution to the project will be its state-of-the-art technology and ability to build quality infrastructure, while India will bring in its expertise of working in Africa.
• Unlike China’s OBOR project Asia Africa Growth Corridor is conceived as a more open and inclusive programme that will be based on more consultations and keep people as the centre piece rather than just trade and economic ties.