India - Japan relations

History
An exchange between Japan and India is said to have begun in the 6th century when Buddhism was
introduced to Japan. Indian culture, filtered through Buddhism, has had a great impact on Japanese
culture, and this is the source of the Japanese people's sense of closeness to India.

After World War II, in 1949, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru donated an Indian elephant to the
Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. This brought a ray of light into the lives of the Japanese people who still had not
recovered from defeat in the war. Japan and India signed a peace treaty and established diplomatic
relations on 28th April 1952. This treaty was one of the first peace treaties Japan signed after World War
II.

Ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have enjoyed cordial relations. In
the post-World War II period, India's iron ore helped a great deal Japan's recovery from the devastation.
Following Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi's visit to India in 1957, Japan started providing yen
loans to India in 1958, as the first yen loan aid extended by the Japanese government.

Cooperation in Security Fields

During Prime Minister Singh’s visit to Japan in October 2008, two leaders issued "the Joint Declaration
on Security Cooperation between Japan and India". There are also various frameworks of security and
defense dialogue between Japan and India including Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting (“2+2”
meeting), annual Defense Ministerial Dialogue, and Coast Guard-to-Coast Guard dialogue. In September
2022, the second ”2+2” meeting was held in Tokyo.

On September 9th, 2020, the Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Government of the
Republic of India Concerning the Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Self-Defense
Forces of Japan and the Indian Armed Forces (so-called “Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement” or
ACSA) was signed. ACSA came into force on July 11th, 2021

Economic Relations
In recent years, the economic relationship between Japan and India has steadily expanded and
deepened. The volume of trade between the two countries has increased. India was the 18th largest
trading partner for Japan, and Japan was the 13th largest trading partner for India in 2021. Also, direct
investment from Japan to India has increased, and Japan was the 5th largest investor for India in FY2021.
Japanese private sector's interest in India is rising, and, currently, about 1,439 Japanese companies have
branches in India in 2021.

At recent summit meetings, The two leaders confirmed that they will promote active investment by
Japanese companies in India in light of the 5-trillion-yen target of public and private investment and
financing from Japan to India over the next 5 years, which was set on the occasion of Prime Minister
Kishida’s visit to India in March 2022, while also concurring on the importance of the Indian side further
improving the business environment for smooth operations of Japanese companies in India, including
cooperation for the diversification and enhancement of supply chains through the "India-Japan Industrial
Competitiveness Partnership". The two leaders also concurred to promote the "Clean Energy
Partnership" announced during Prime Minister Kishida's visit to India in March 2022 to achieve carbon
neutrality ensure energy security at the global level, and promote concrete cooperation in the areas of
hydrogen, ammonia and LNG through the "Japan-India Energy Ministerial Dialogue" and other initiatives.
 Economic Assistance
India has been the largest recipient of Japanese ODA loans for the past decades. Delhi Metro is one of
the most successful examples of Japanese cooperation through the utilization of ODA. Japan continues
to cooperate in supporting strategic connectivity linking South Asia to Southeast Asia through the
synergy between the ''Act East'' policy and ''Partnership for Quality Infrastructure.''

Besides, Japan and India had committed to building a High-Speed Railway in India by introducing Japan’s
Shinkansen System, which is the flagship project of Japan-India relations.

• Loan: 567.49 billion yen (FY 2022)

• Grants: 4.67 billion yen (FY 2021)
• Technical Cooperation: 5.7 billion yen (FY 2022)

Cultural Relations
➢ The year 2012 marked the 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations
between Japan and India. Various cultural events took place both in Japan and in India to
promote mutual understanding between the two countries, under the theme of “Resurgent
Japan, Vibrant India: New Perspectives, New Exchanges.”
➢ During the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Japan in November 2016, the two Prime Ministers
declared the year 2017 the Year of Japan-India Friendly Exchanges to further enhance people-to-
people exchanges between Japan and India. The year 2017 also marked the 60th anniversary
since the Cultural Agreement came into force in 1957. Various commemorating events took place
in both countries.
➢ In 2022, Japan celebrates anniversaries with the seven countries of Southwest Asia, including
India. Japan has designated 2022 as “Japan-Southwest Asia Exchange Year” intending to take
Japan’s relations with the countries of Southwest Asia to new heights.

Nuclear Cooperation
➢ India and Japan have engaged in discussions on civil nuclear cooperation. Although there were
some concerns and debates over this issue, both countries have worked towards finalizing
agreements related to nuclear energy.

Regional Cooperation

➢ Both nations have collaborated on regional issues and have participated in various multilateral forums,
such as the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the G20.

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