27-Sep-2022: Prime Minister’s meeting with Prime Minister of Japan

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister of Japan H.E. Mr. Fumio Kishida. Prime Minister conveyed his deepest condolences for the demise of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Prime Minister noted the contributions of late Prime Minister Abe in strengthening India-Japan partnership as well in conceptualizing the vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

The two leaders had a productive exchange of views on further deepening bilateral relations. They also discussed a number of regional and global issues. The leaders renewed their commitment towards further strengthening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, and in working together in the region and in various international groupings and institutions.

8-Sep-2022: Raksha Mantri & his Japanese counterpart review defence cooperation & regional security situation during bilateral talks in Tokyo

Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with Minister of Defense of Japan Mr. Yasukazu Hamada in Tokyo on September 08, 2022. The two Ministers reviewed various aspects of bilateral defence cooperation as well as regional affairs. They acknowledged the importance of India-Japan defence partnership and the critical role it will play in ensuring free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region.

During the delegation-level talks, Shri Rajnath Singh highlighted that the growing complexities in the India-Japan bilateral defence exercises is a testimony to the deepening of defence cooperation between the two countries. The Ministers expressed their commitment in continuing bilateral and multilateral exercises including ‘Dharma Guardian’, ‘JIMEX’ and ‘Malabar’. They welcomed the operationalisation of the Reciprocal Provision of Supply and Services Agreement during Exercise ‘MILAN’ in March this year. The two Ministers agreed that the early conduct of the inaugural fighter exercise will pave way for much greater cooperation and interoperability between the Air Forces of the two countries.

The Raksha Mantri emphasised on the need to expand the scope of partnership in the field of Defence Equipment and Technological Cooperation. He invited Japanese industries to invest in India’s defence corridors where a conducive environment for the growth of the defence industry has been created by the Government of India.

This year marks 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and Japan. As two robust democracies, the two countries are pursuing a Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

After reaching Tokyo on the night of September 07, 2022, Shri Rajnath Singh began his day’s engagements by laying a wreath at a Memorial, dedicated to the personnel of Japan Self Defense Forces who laid down their lives in the line of duty, at Ministry of Defense, Japan. He was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour before the bilateral meeting with the Japanese Defense Minister.

Later in the day, the Raksha Mantri, along with External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, will participate in the 2nd India-Japan 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. The Japanese side will be represented by Minister of Defense Mr. Yasukazu Hamada and Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Yoshimasa Hayashi. The 2+2 Dialogue will review bilateral cooperation across domains and chart out the way forward.

16-Jun-2022: India-Japan hold Finance Dialogue in New Delhi

Mr. Masato Kanda, Vice Minister of Finance for International Affairs, Japan, and Mr. Ajay Seth, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, held the first India-Japan Finance Dialogue here today.

In view of the growing importance of India-Japan relations in recent years, the dialogue on India-Japan financial cooperation, which had been held at the level of Deputy Director-Generals, was upgraded to the level of Vice Minister/Secretary.

The Japanese delegation included the representatives from Ministry of Finance, Financial Services Agency, and financial institutions. From Indian side, the representatives from Ministry of Finance, Reserve Bank of India, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India, Securities and Exchange Board of India, and financial institutions participated in the discussion.

The participants exchanged their views on the macroeconomic situation, financial system, financial digitalization and investment environment in both countries, and confirmed that both sides will continue to work closely together as they hold presidency of G20 and G7 next year. The participants including private financial institutions also discussed various financial regulation issues towards further expansion of investment in India.

Both sides agreed to continue discussions for further promoting financial cooperation and strengthening bilateral relations, and agreed to explore holding the next round of the Dialogue in Tokyo.

2-Jun-2022: MIFF celebrates 70th anniversary of Indo-Japan diplomatic relationship

The 17th Mumbai International Film Festival is celebrating the 70th anniversary of Indo-Japan diplomatic relationship. To commemorate the occasion and strengthen the bond between the two nations, a special package of five short films will be screened at MIFF tomorrow at 6 PM at Audi-I, Films Division Complex, Mumbai.

This package comprises a selection of five short fiction films from the Short Shorts film festival and Asia. Short Shorts film festival & Asia (SSFF & ASIA) is an annual Oscars-qualifying short film festival held in Tokyo since 1999. It is one of the largest international short film festivals in Asia.

23-May-2022: Prime Minister Chairs Business Roundtable in Tokyo

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi chaired a roundtable with Japanese business leaders on 23 May 2022 in Tokyo.

Top executives and CEOs of 34 Japanese companies participated in the event. Majority of these companies have investments and operations in India. The companies represented diverse sectors including automobiles, electronics, semiconductors, steel, technology, trading and banking & finance. Key business bodies and organizations from India and Japan such as Keidanren, Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), Japan-India Business Consultative Committee(JIBCC) and Invest India also participated in the event.

Stressing that India and Japan are natural partners, Prime Minister lauded the business community as brand ambassadors of the immense potential of India-Japan ties. Prime Minister said that during the visit of Prime Minister Kishida to India in March 2022, both countries had set an ambitious target of investment of Japanese Yen 5 trillion over the next 5 years. Prime Minister highlighted recent developments in economic ties, such as India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership (IJICP) and Clean Energy Partnership, among others. He talked about initiatives such National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, and semiconductor policy and highlighted the robust startup ecosystem of India.

Prime Minister noted that despite the slowdown in global FDI, India has attracted record FDI of USD 84 billion in the previous financial year. He termed this a vote of confidence of India’s economic potential. He invited greater participation by Japanese companies in India and proposed celebrating Japan’s contribution to India’s development journey in the form of a ‘Japan Week’.

13-May-2022: 7th Japan-India ICT Joint Working Group meeting held under India-Japan ICT Comprehensive Cooperation Framework

The 7th Japan-India ICT Joint Working Group meeting was held on 13th May2022 on a virtual platform. Mr. V.L Kantha Rao, Additional Secretary, Department of Telecommunications and H.E. Mr. Sasaki YUJI, Vice Minister for Policy Coordination (International Affairs), Japan co-chaired the meeting. Senior representatives from both governments and other non-governmental stakeholders from Industry, R&D and Academia attended the meeting. 

Recalling the India Japan Summit Meeting in March 2022, both sides recognized the need for growing cooperation under the India-Japan Digital Partnership with a view to enhancing digital economy through promotion of joint projects for digital transformation, support to provide opportunities for Indian IT professionals to work in Japan and Japanese companies, and collaboration made in the area of IoT, AI and other emerging technologies. The JWG discussions were focused on enhancing further cooperation in various fields like 5G, Open RAN, Telecom Network Security, submarine cable systems, and Quantum Communications.

India and Japan share a common vision of a peaceful, stable and prosperous world and this has now taken the shape of “Special Strategic and Global Partnership”. This year 2022 is the 70th Anniversary of India Japan Diplomatic relations and India is also entering Amrit Kaal, the 25 year long lead up to India @100. ICT being the key driver of development provides a massive opportunity for cooperation between both countries to build a robust foundation for the present and future world.

While underlining the recent developments in telecom sector, Additional Secretary (Telecom) stated that India 4G LTE telecom stack has been tested by CDOT Tata Consultancy Services – Tejas Network consortium and is available for rollout in India. The 5G Federated Test bed has been set up in 8 Research institutions In India at an estimated cost of USD 35 million.

The participants of 7th JWG meeting included Government officials, Industry and academia stakeholders from India and Japan. The meeting deliberated on the best practices and experience on Open RAN, Massive MIMO, Quantum Communications, Connected Cars, 5G Use cases and 6G Innovation. The 7th JWG agreed to enhance cooperation in these areas under the framework of Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India and Japan.

28-Apr-2022: PM expresses happiness over 70 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Japan

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed happiness over 70 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Japan today. Shri Modi further said that our ties have deepened in every sphere, whether strategic, economic or people-to-people contacts.

In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister said;

"As we celebrate 70 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Japan today, I am happy to see that our ties have deepened in every sphere, whether strategic, economic or people-to-people contacts."

"The recent visit of my friend PM Kishida @kishida230 to India for the Annual Summit laid out a roadmap for deepening our Special Strategic and Global Partnership in a post-COVID world. I look forward to continue working with PM Kishida to realize that objective."

13-Apr-2022: Cabinet approves signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between India and Japan in the area of Decentralized Domestic Wastewater Management

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today has given its ex-post facto approval for a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed between the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR), Ministry of Jal Shakti and The Ministry of the Environment of Japan in the areas of Decentralized Domestic Waste Water Management.

Implementation strategy and targets: A Management Council (MC) will be formed which will be responsible for the implementation of this MoC by formulating detailed activities of collaboration and the monitoring of its progress.

Major impacts: The collaboration with Japan through the MoC shall prove to very fruitful in areas such as Decentralized Domestic Wastewater Management and Effective reuse of treated wastewater using Johkasou technology. The decentralized Johkasou systems towards management of wastewater can have greater implications for management of grey/ black water from settlements with coverage under Jal Jeevan Mission as well as the sustainability of sources of fresh water under the mission, besides similar situation under Namami Gange Program.  It will help ULBs to plan better for the complex issue of treating waste water.

Expenditure Involved: There shall be no financial obligations on both the Parties under this MoC. To facilitate the activities under this MOC, case-specific detailed documents such as Pre-Feasibility Reports, Feasibility Reports, and Detailed Project Reports, among others, may be created, covering detailed specifications in the respective areas as well as other pertinent matters such as, if deemed necessary, the financial arrangement of such case-specific programme and Project.

Point-wise details: A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed between the Department of Water Resources River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR), the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) and The Ministry of the Environment of Japan in the areas of Decentralized Domestic Waste Water Management on 19.03.2022. This MoC was signed for promoting cooperation for Decentralized Domestic Wastewater Management in preserving the water environment in the public water areas and improvement of public health, based on the principles of equality and mutual benefit between the two countries.

MoC signed to strengthen, facilitate and develop the capacity of Decentralized Domestic Waste Water Management between the DoWR, RD & GR, MoJS of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Environment of Japan.  The scope of cooperation is mostly focussing on Decentralized Domestic Wastewater Management and Effective reuse of treated wastewater Forms of cooperation under this MoC will encourage and facilitate cooperation which may include but is not limited to areas of mutual interest in exchanging information and expertise on Decentralized Domestic Wastewater Management through Seminars, conferences and capacity building.

To facilitate the activities under this MOC, case-specific detailed documents such as Pre-Feasibility Reports, Feasibility Reports, and Detailed Project Reports, among others, may be created, covering detailed specifications in the respective areas as well as other pertinent matters such as, if deemed necessary, the financial arrangement of such case-specific programme and Project. Both sides will establish a Management Council (MC) that is responsible for the implementation of this MoC by formulating detailed activities of collaboration and monitoring its progress.

Background: The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has been envisaging bilateral cooperation with other countries in water resources development and management through sharing of policy and technical expertise, conducting of training courses, workshops, scientific and technical symposia, exchange of experts and study tours. Keeping in view the ongoing India-Japan cooperation, it has been decided to have an agreement with Japan to exchange experience and expertise in the decentralized treatment sector.

19-Mar-2022: India-Japan Summit Joint Statement Partnership for a Peaceful, Stable and Prosperous Post-COVID World

Prime Minister of Japan H.E. Mr. Kishida Fumio made an official visit to India, as his first bilateral visit, from 19 to 20 March 2022 for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit with H.E. Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India. The Prime Ministers recognized that the Summit was taking place at a significant time as the two countries were celebrating the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations and India was celebrating the 75th anniversary of its independence. They reviewed the developments since the last Annual Summit and discussed wide ranging areas of cooperation.

1. Reaffirming the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan, the Prime Ministers concurred that the shared values and principles enunciated in the India-Japan Vision Statement issued in 2018 are particularly relevant in the present context, where global cooperation is required more than ever to address challenges that have become more acute. They highlighted their commitment to working in tandem towards a peaceful, stable and prosperous world, based on a rules-based order that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations, and emphasized the need for all countries to seek peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law without resorting to threat or use of force or any attempt to unilaterally change status quo. In this regard, they reaffirmed their common vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific, free from coercion. They shared the view that the economies of both countries in such a world would be powered by robust bilateral investment and trade flows through diversified, resilient, transparent, open, secure and predictable global supply chains that provide for economic security and prosperity of their peoples. Reaffirming that the two countries would continue to work together to realize these shared objectives, they resolved to further advance the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

Partnership for A Free and Open Indo-Pacific underpinned by Inclusiveness and Rules-based order

2. The Prime Ministers appreciated the significant progress made in security and defence cooperation and reaffirmed their desire to further deepen it. They welcomed the holding of the first 2+2 meeting of their Foreign and Defence Ministers in November 2019 in New Delhi and instructed their Ministers to hold the second meeting at the earliest opportunity in Tokyo. They also welcomed the operationalization of the Agreement Concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Japan Self-Defense Forces and the Indian Armed Forces. They expressed their commitment to continuing bilateral and multilateral exercises including "Dharma Guardian” and "Malabar” respectively, while welcoming the participation of Japan for the first time in exercise MILAN, as well as making efforts to increase their complexity in the future. They reaffirmed the decision to proceed with coordination for the inaugural fighter exercise between the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and the Indian Air Force and welcomed the efforts to hold the exercise at the earliest. They acknowledged ongoing collaboration in the area of Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) and Robotics and directed their Ministers to further identify concrete areas for future cooperation in the area of defence equipment and technology.

3. With their commitment to promoting peace, security, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, the Prime Ministers affirmed the importance of bilateral and plurilateral partnerships among like-minded countries of the region, including the quadrilateral cooperation among Australia, India, Japan, and the United States (the Quad). They welcomed the Quad Leaders’ Summits in March and September 2021 and renewed their commitment to delivering tangible outcomes on the Quad’s positive and constructive agenda, especially on COVID vaccines, critical and emerging technologies, climate action, infrastructure coordination, cybersecurity, space and education. They looked forward to advancing Quad cooperation through the next Quad Leaders’ Summit in Japan in the coming months.

4. Prime Minister Kishida welcomed the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) announced by Prime Minister Modi in 2019. The Prime Ministers acknowledged the growing space for cooperation between the IPOI and Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). India appreciated Japan’s participation as a lead partner on the connectivity pillar of IPOI. They reiterated their strong support for ASEAN’s unity and centrality and their full support for the "ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP)” which upholds the principles such as the rule of law, openness, freedom, transparency and inclusiveness.

5. The Prime Ministers emphasized that India and Japan, as two leading powers in the Indo-Pacific region, had a shared interest in the safety and security of the maritime domain, freedom of navigation and overflight, unimpeded lawful commerce and peaceful resolution of disputes with full respect for legal and diplomatic processes in accordance with international law. They reaffirmed their determination to continue prioritizing the role of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and facilitate collaboration, including in maritime security, to meet challenges against the rules-based maritime order in the East and South China Seas. They emphasized the importance of non-militarisation and self-restraint. They further called for the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the early conclusion of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, especially UNCLOS, without prejudice to the rights and interests of all nations including those not party to these negotiations.

6. The Prime Ministers condemned North Korea’s destabilising ballistic missile launches in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). They reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea consistent with the relevant UNSCRs, and the importance of addressing concerns related to North Korea’s proliferation linkages. They urged North Korea to fully comply with its international obligations under the relevant UNSCRs, and to immediately resolve the abductions issue.

7. The Prime Ministers reaffirmed their intention to collaborate closely to realise peace and stability in Afghanistan, and stressed the importance of addressing humanitarian crisis, promoting human rights and ensuring establishment of a truly representative and an inclusive political system. They also reaffirmed the importance of UNSCR 2593 (2021) which unequivocally demands that Afghan territory not be used for sheltering, training, planning or financing terrorist acts and called for concerted action against all terrorist groups, including those sanctioned by the UNSC.

8. The Prime Ministers expressed deep concern at the growing threat of terrorism and underlined the need for strengthening international cooperation to combat terrorism in a comprehensive and sustained manner. They called upon all countries to work together for rooting out terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and their financing channels, and halting cross-border movement of terrorists. In this context, they also called upon all countries to ensure that territory under their control is not used to launch terror attacks, to expeditiously bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks. They reiterated their condemnation of terrorist attacks in India, including 26/11 Mumbai and Pathankot attacks and called upon Pakistan to take resolute and irreversible action against terrorist networks operating out of its territory and comply fully with international commitments including to FATF. They also concurred to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts in multilateral fora, and to work together on early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in the United Nations.

9. The Prime Ministers remained concerned about the situation in Myanmar and called for an end to violence, the release of all those detained and a return to the path of democracy. They reaffirmed their support for ASEAN efforts to seek a solution in Myanmar, and welcomed Cambodia’s active engagement as ASEAN chair to break the deadlock. They called on Myanmar to urgently implement ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus.

10. The Prime Ministers expressed their serious concern about the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications, particularly to the Indo-Pacific region. They emphasized that the contemporary global order has been built on the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states. They underscored the importance of safety and security of nuclear facilities in Ukraine and acknowledged active efforts of the IAEA towards it. They reiterated their call for an immediate cessation of violence and noted that there was no other choice but the path of dialogue and diplomacy for resolution of the conflict. The Leaders affirmed that they would undertake appropriate steps to address the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

11. Prime Minister Kishida congratulated India on its successful Presidency of the UN Security Council in August 2021 including Prime Minister Modi’s chairmanship of the UNSC at the High-Level Open Debate on "Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Maritime Security”. Prime Minister Modi reiterated India's support for Japan's candidature for a non-permanent seat at the UNSC for the term 2023-2024, to which Prime Minister Kishida expressed his appreciation. They concurred to continue to work closely on matters in the UNSC during the respective tenures of India and Japan. The Prime Ministers resolved to continue to work closely together for an early reform of the UNSC to reflect the contemporary realities of the 21st century. They expressed their determination to accelerate its process, including through the commencement of text-based negotiations in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) with an overall objective to achieve concrete outcomes in a fixed timeframe. They reaffirmed their shared recognition that India and Japan are legitimate/deserving candidates for permanent membership in an expanded UNSC.

12. The Prime Ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to the total elimination of nuclear weapons and remained resolute in the task of strengthening international cooperation to address the challenges of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism. Prime Minister Kishida stressed the importance of early entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). They called for an immediate commencement and early conclusion of negotiations on a non-discriminatory, multilateral, and internationally and effectively verifiable Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) in the Conference on Disarmament on the basis of Shannon Mandate. They pledged to continue working together for India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, with the aim of strengthening the global non-proliferation efforts.

Partnership for Sustainable Growth in a post-COVID World

13. The Prime Ministers reiterated that India and Japan would continue to contribute to global efforts to combat COVID-19 and to protecting the lives and livelihoods of people. They welcomed the progress made under the Quad Vaccine Partnership to enhance equitable access to safe and effective vaccines in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. Prime Minister Modi expressed his appreciation for the support extended by Japan to efforts of the Government of India to combat COVID-19 and provide social protection. Prime Minister Kishida praised India’s initiatives in the fight against COVID-19, especially in ensuring a supply of medicines and medical equipment and providing safe and effective vaccines through the Vaccine Maitri initiative. They reaffirmed their commitment to achieve the health-related SDGs, in particular universal health coverage, and to strengthen global health architecture, including the leading and coordinating role of the World Health Organization and its reform.

14. The Prime Ministers, building on the outcome of COP26, recognized the importance and imminence of tackling climate change, and shared the importance of various pathways for pragmatic energy transitions reflecting different national circumstances and constant innovation to achieving global net-zero emission. They welcomed the launch of the India-Japan Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) for cooperation towards achieving sustainable economic growth, addressing climate change and ensuring energy security, in areas such as electric vehicles (EV), storage systems including batteries, electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI), solar energy, clean including green hydrogen/ammonia, wind energy, exchange of views on respective energy transition plans, energy efficiency, CCUS (Carbon dioxide Capturing, Utilization and Storage) and Carbon Recycling. They committed to continue further discussion for establishing the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) between India and Japan for the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. They also reaffirmed their determination to promote environmental cooperation in other areas. In this regard, they welcomed the signing of the MoC for cooperation in decentralized domestic wastewater management. Prime Minister Modi conveyed appreciation for the past and ongoing Japanese cooperation for smart cities missions in Varanasi, Ahmedabad and Chennai, and looked forward to further cooperation in this field. Prime Minister Kishida commended India’s initiatives such as the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and conveyed that Japan would be joining the Indian-Swedish climate initiative LeadIT to promote heavy industry transition. They welcomed the signing of the MoC on Sustainable Urban Development.

15. The Prime Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to upholding and strengthening the rules-based multilateral trading system, with the World Trade Organization (WTO) at its core, and to work closely with each other to achieve meaningful outcomes in the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC12). They shared their opposition to coercive economic policies and practices that run counter to this system and committed to work collectively to foster global economic resilience against such actions.

16. The Prime Ministers noted with appreciation that since elevation of ties to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership, there had been significant growth in economic cooperation. They expressed satisfaction that the investment target of JPY 3.5 trillion announced in 2014 has been achieved. Noting steps taken by India to improve the business environment for Japanese investors in India, as well as other measures to boost economic growth and improve ease of doing business, they expressed their shared intention to realize JPY 5 trillion of public and private investment and financing from Japan to India in the next five years, to finance appropriate public and private projects of mutual interest. Prime Minister Modi expressed his appreciation for various initiatives taken by Japan to strengthen economic cooperation with India. In this context, the Prime Ministers recalled the establishment of the India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership (IJICP) in November 2021 and welcomed the formulation of a Roadmap under the IJICP, to further promote industrial cooperation between the two countries including in the areas of MSME (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises), manufacturing and supply chains. They also confirmed to work together towards reliable, resilient, efficient supply chains in the region and welcomed the progress in this regard in areas such as sharing of best practices. They emphasized the importance of collaboration to address illicit technology transfers, build resilient supply chains and strengthen the protection of critical infrastructure, including through the Quad. They welcomed the renewal of their bilateral currency swap agreement of USD 75 billion. They recognized the need for enhancing bilateral trade and welcomed the amendment promoting trade of fish surimi between India and Japan under India-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). Stressing the importance of promoting trade and investment between the two countries, they encouraged further review of the implementation of CEPA through existing mechanisms. They welcomed India’s approval of imports of Japanese apples and relaxation of procedures of Indian mango exports to Japan.

17. The Prime Ministers recognized that digital technologies would play an increasingly important role in the post-COVID world and welcomed the growing cooperation under the India-Japan Digital Partnership with a view to enhancing digital economy through promotion of joint projects for digital transformation, support to provide opportunities for Indian IT professionals to work in Japan and Japanese companies, and collaboration made in the area of IoT, AI and other emerging technologies. In this regard, Prime Minister Kishida looked forward to attracting more highly skilled Indian IT professionals to contribute to the Japanese ICT sector. They also welcomed the progress on the "India-Japan fund-of-funds” to mobilize funds for emerging Indian start-ups. Welcoming the signing of MoCs in the fields of Cybersecurity and ICT, they appreciated progress in the bilateral relationship in cyber domain and affirmed to further deepen cyber engagement with each other in multilateral fora, including in the United Nations. They shared the view to further cooperate in various fields like 5G, Open RAN, Telecom Network Security, submarine cable systems, and Quantum Communications. They welcomed the progress of bilateral cooperation in the field of science and technology, including through the holding of the 10th Meeting of the India-Japan Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation in November 2020, and looked forward to the joint lunar research project. They reaffirmed the commitment to strengthen the efforts so that the vision for technologies, guided by the Quad Principles on Technology Design, Development, Governance, and Use, would be further shared by all like-minded nations.

18. Prime Minister Modi appreciated Japan’s support for India’s socio-economic development over the years. The Prime Ministers welcomed the signing of the exchange of notes concerning seven yen loan projects in which Japan provides over 300 billion yen (over INR 20400 crores) in total. The Prime Ministers expressed satisfaction on the progress in the flagship bilateral cooperation project of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR). They affirmed that this project was an important symbol of India-Japan collaboration and would lead to transfer of technology which would further enhance the capacity of railways in India. They reaffirmed that they would work together for the commencement of operations at the earliest possible timing. Prime Minister Modi appreciated Japan’s cooperation on the MAHSR and various Metro Projects in India and looked forward to the planned preparatory survey for the Patna Metro.

19. The Prime Ministers reaffirmed the significance of collaborative projects between India and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region. They acknowledged the progress in ongoing projects in Bangladesh and looked forward to exploring expansion of such cooperation to ASEAN, Pacific island countries and others. They appreciated the importance of their continued collaboration through the Act East Forum (AEF) for sustainable economic development of India’s North Eastern Region and for enhancing the Region’s connectivity with Southeast Asia. They welcomed the launch of the "India-Japan Initiative for Sustainable Development of the North Eastern Region of India”, which includes "Initiative for Strengthening the Bamboo Value Chain in the North East” and cooperation in health care, forest resources management, connectivity and tourism in different states of the North Eastern Region.

20. The Prime Ministers reaffirmed their resolve to make the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership more robust and complementary in view of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2022 through people-to-people exchanges, tourism and sports. They welcomed the opening of the Rudraksha Convention Centre in Varanasi as a symbol of India-Japan friendship. They appreciated the progress made in Japanese language education and training in India and decided to expand this initiative through the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) scheme.

21. They reaffirmed the importance of strengthening cooperation in the area of skill development and creation of employment opportunities. They welcomed the fact that more than 3,700 Indians were trained in JIMs (Japan-India Institutes for Manufacturing) and JECs (Japanese Endowed Courses) in the past year. They noted with pleasure the operationalization of the Specified Skilled Worker (SSW) system under the Memorandum of Cooperation signed in January 2021. They welcomed the starting of SSW examinations in India earlier this year and noted that some skilled workers have started working in Japan already as SSW. They also noted with pleasure that approximately 200 Indians are staying in Japan as Technical Intern Trainees. They concurred to work together to boost the number of skilled Indians who could contribute to Japanese economy through these existing frameworks.

22. Prime Minister Modi congratulated Prime Minister Kishida for the success of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, and Prime Minister Kishida expressed his appreciation for India’s support. Prime Minister Modi confirmed India’s participation in the Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan, as an opportunity to further strengthen and broaden trade, investment and people-to-people links between the two countries. Prime Minister Kishida welcomed India’s participation and expressed his gratitude for Prime Minister Modi’s support for its success.

23. The Prime Ministers confirmed the importance of building upon the achievements through annual mutual visits by the leaders, and looked forward to continuing such visits in the years ahead. Prime Minister Kishida thanked Prime Minister Modi for the warmth and hospitality extended to him and members of his delegation during his visit to India and extended an invitation to Prime Minister Modi to visit Japan on the occasion of the Quad Leaders’ Summit. Prime Minister Modi accepted the invitation with great pleasure.

17-Mar-2022: 14th India Japan Annual Summit (19 March 2022; New Delhi)

At the invitation of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of Japan H.E. Mr. Kishida Fumio will be undertaking an official visit to New Delhi from 19-20 March 2022 for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit. The Summit would be the first meeting of the two leaders. The previous India-Japan Annual Summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018.

India and Japan have multi-faceted cooperation within the ambit of their ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’. The Summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their Partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

7-Dec-2021: India-Japan Science and Technology Seminar highlights need to evolve to bigger missions

Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of India, Prof K Vijay Raghavan, highlighted the need to build upon the foundation of student exchange and individual collaboration between India and Japan to evolve to bigger missions between the two countries for addressing the demands of the entire planet and the region, at the India-Japan Science and Technology Seminar

“Focusing on handling of data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence, S&T has a very important role to play to address ever emerging global challenges as we go forward and the cooperation between India and Japan need to scale up based on the cooperation that we already have," Prof K Vijay Raghavan pointed out while delivering the keynote addresses at the seminar titled Nobel Laureate S&T Seminar Series -India-Japan Science and Technology Seminar.

The two-day seminar was jointly organized in hybrid mode by the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology, an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India, and Indian JSPS Alumni Association (IJAA) to commemorate the 70th anniversary of India Japan diplomatic relations and the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence --Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. It was initiated on December 6 and was sponsored by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the Embassy of India, Japan, in co-association with DST- India, and JST-Japan.

Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma, Ambassador of India to Japan, Embassy of India, Tokyo, GOI, underlined that the engagement with the Nobel Laureates can help further enhancement of deepening India-Japan bilateral partnership. India and Japan are fully engaged in various aspects of diplomacy, including S&T, and the event presents an occasion to celebrate almost 70 years of diplomatic relationship, which started in the year 1952. He urged the scientific community and the innovators to work together to find solutions for problems that we are facing independently but have common threats through co-innovation, co-promotion, and co-creation.

“The relationship between Japan and India has experienced rapid and significant expansion in recent years. S&T is one of the important fields to which both governments attach the highest values and areas like outer space with joint missions to moon, biotechnology, AI, nanotechnology, and quantum technology are exciting fields for cooperation for researchers between India and Japan to contribute for making lives better for society. JSPS has been playing a pivotal role in fostering Japan’s relationship with India through its wide spectrum of academic and scientific programmes,” said H.E. Mr. Suzuki Satoshi, Ambassador of Japan to India, Embassy of Japan, Government of Japan.

Dr. M. Ravichandran, Secretary, DST, GOI, pointed out that very recently, the two countries have established 3 joint India-Japan laboratories in the area of ICT, AI, and Big data. “Our present collaborations are directed towards creating a value-based relationship which can contribute to the 21st-century knowledge economy. We are encouraging youngsters to carry out research work with more international exposure. Around 570 Indian school students and researchers have visited Japan under Sakura science program. The year-long active S&T talk series will bring back vigor of India Japan collaboration,” Secretary DST elaborated.

“India and Japan have established and maintained a peaceful and successful relationship over the past 70 years. In S&T, both governments agreed to establish cooperation in the field of biotechnology, information, and communication technology. JST and DST have been heavily involved in cooperation in these areas with around 21 projects till now since 2006,” Dr. Kishi Teruo, Director General, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Sakura Program, GOJ stressed.

Dr. Susmu Satomi, President, The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS), GOJ, pointed out that JSPS has established, maintained, and strengthened networks of researchers. Indian JSPS alumni association established in 2006 has over 400 members among whom many are top-notch researchers who globally represent India’s science and tech community.”

“In the current scenario, collaboration between various institutes, agencies, and the government is indispensable for the benefit of people at large,” Prof. Ajit Kumar V. K. Director, SCTIMST, underlined.

Nobel Laureate 2018 in Physiology or Medicine, Prof. Tasuku Honjo, in his keynote address, spoke about the future prospects of Cancer Therapy and the role of scientists from all over the world in it.

Dr. P. V. Mohanan Organizing Secretary, S&T Seminar (SCTIMST), Prof. D. Sakthi Kumar Chairman, Indian JSPS Alumni Association (IJAA) & Deputy Director, Dr. Sanjeev K Varshney Head, International Cooperation, DST, GOI, Dr. Harikrishna Varma Head, BMT Wing, SCTIMST and Dr. Usha Dixit Counsellor (S&T), Embassy were also present in the seminar.

The online sessions consisting of keynote presentations, special addresses, invited talks, plenary lectures from renowned scientists across India and Japan, and student poster presentations were live-streamed across ten schools from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram to develop the scientific temper and curiosity in young minds.     

7-Sep-2021: First India-Japan High Level Policy Dialogue on Environment held today.

The First India–Japan High Level Policy Dialogue was held virtually on 7th September 2021 between Mr. Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India and Mr. KOIZUMI Shinjiro, Minister of the Environment of Japan, and discussed issues on Air Pollution, Sustainable Technologies and Transports, Climate Change, Marine Litter, Fluorocarbons, COP 26, etc.

In meeting, Mr. Bhupender Yadav acknowledged the importance of Indo-Japan bilateral cooperation on environment and appreciated efforts made by Japan in bringing new technologies in India. He also highlighted the achievements made India in tackling climate change under the leadership of our Hon’ble Prime Minister.

Mr. Yadav stated that India and Japan may explore strengthening bilateral cooperation especially on circular economy and resource efficiency, low carbon technology, green hydrogen, etc.

Given Japan’s expertise and technology on low carbon technology, the Environment Minister also requested Japan to consider joining the Leadership Group for Industry Transition, a global initiative spearheaded by India and Sweden.

Mr. KOIZUMI Shinjiro, Minister of the Environment of Japan mentioned that both countries can strengthen bilateral cooperation through the Joint Credit Mechanism (JCM), Coalition for Disaster Resilience Infrastructure(CDRI)  and may also explore collaboration in areas endorsed by the G20, especially on climate, environment and energy.

Both sides agreed to further strengthen the bilateral cooperation on environment, and also to take forward the discussion on JCM.

2-Jun-2021: Cabinet approves Memorandum of Cooperation between India and Japan in the field of sustainable urban development

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the signing of Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on Sustainable Urban Development between the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs, Government of India and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Government of Japan, in supersession of existing MoU of 2007 on Urban Development.

Implementation strategy: A Joint Working Group (JWG) will be constituted to strategize and implement programmes on cooperation under the framework of the MoC. The Joint Working Group will meet once in a year, alternately in Japan and in India.

The cooperation under this MoC will commence on the date of its signature and continue for a period of 5 years. Thereafter, it may be renewed automatically for further successive periods of 5 years at a time.

Major Impact: The MoC will promote strong, deep and long-term bilateral cooperation in the field of Sustainable Urban Development between the two countries.

Benefits: The MoC is expected to create employment opportunities in the areas of sustainable urban development, including Urban Planning, Smart Cities Development, Affordable Housing, (including rental housing), Urban Flood Management, Sewerage and Waste Water Management, Urban Transport (including Intelligent Transport Management System, Transit-Oriented Development and Multimodal Integration) and Disaster Resilient development.

Details: The objectives of the MoC are to facilitate and strengthen India-Japan technical cooperation in the field of Sustainable urban development including Urban Planning, Smart Cities Development, Affordable Housing (including rental housing), Urban Flood Management, Sewerage and Waste Water Management, Intelligent Transport Management System, Transit-Oriented Development, Multimodal Integration, Disaster Resilient development and other areas as mutually identified by both Sides. The proposed MoC will enable exchange of key learnings and best practices in the above-mentioned areas.

7-Apr-2021: MoU between India and Japan for Academic and Research Cooperation and Exchange

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, is apprised of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL), Dept of Space, Government of India and Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan for Academic and Research Cooperation and Exchange on November 4, 2020 and November 11, 2020 at respective institutes and exchanged by post.

Objectives

• This MoU shall enable NARL and RISH to continue their cooperation in areas of atmospheric science and technology, collaborative scientific experiments/campaigns and related modelling studies utilising the research facilities of RISH and NARL, exchange of scientific materials, publications and information, joint research meetings and workshops, exchange of faculty members, students and researchers.
• This MoU would lead to mutual utilization of facilities such as the Middle and Upper atmosphere (MU) radar in Shigaraki, Japan, the Equatorial Atmosphere Radar (EAR) in Kototabang, Indonesia and complementary instruments available from RISH, and the Mesosphere-Stratosphere-Troposphere (MST) radar and complementary instruments available at NARL.

Background

NARL and RISH have been collaborating in the area of atmospheric science and technology as well as exchange of scientists. This arrangement was formalised in 2008 through an MoU. The above MoU was renewed in the year 2013. A fresh MOU to promote collaborative research, as per the new guidelines, was signed in November 2020 by both sides and exchanged.

NARL scientists worked as resource persons in the international school on atmospheric radar conducted by RISH. A team of Professors and Researchers of Kyoto University visited NARL and conducted focused workshop to strengthen cooperative research being carried out by the two institutes.

26-Mar-2021: Third phase of Indian Beamline for Materials Research in Japan initiated focusing on industrial application research

The third phase of the Indian beamline project, a facility for materials research set up under India-Japan Scientific and Technological Cooperation, was initiated on March 23, 2021, with special focus on industrial application research.

The initiation of the third phase took place with the signing of MoU between Ambassador of India in Japan Mr. Sanjay Kumar Verma with Director, Institute of Material Structure Science, Dr. KOSUGI Nobuhiro.

The phase would increase the number of young researchers from India to be trained in advanced X-ray techniques of material research. Besides, steps will be taken to allocate more beamtime so that more researchers can get access to it. At present, only 50 % of Indian researchers who apply receive beamtime.  

The Indian beamline has been constructed and maintained by Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP), Kolkata and Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore; in Japanese synchrotron light source Photon Factory (PF) of High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), with support from Nano Mission, Department of Science and Technology (DST).

This India-Japan Scientific and Technological Cooperation project was initiated between the DST and the KEK on 24 July 2007. In the first phase (2009-2015) of this project, an X-ray beamline (BL18B) was constructed by SINP in PF, and over the years, this facility has provided substantial amount of quality beamtime for the use of Indian scientists to carry out front-ranking research in advanced materials including nano materials.

So far, 45 Indian Institutes across the country have used this facility and published research papers in top-ranking International Journals. In the second phase (2016-2021), JNCASR and SINP jointly developed the beamline further to cater to the need of various users from India by implementing various modes of operation of the Indian beamline.

The required planning was finalized during a one-year extension (April 2015 to March 2016) of first phase through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and it was mentioned in the Joint Statement in Japan during the visit of Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, from 30 August to 3 September 2014. Recognizing the successful operation of the Indian Beam Line at High-Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) at Tsukuba as a flagship cooperative activity, both sides announced their decision to take forward this collaboration in structural materials science area to the second phase for the study of advanced materials. Now it has been extended to the third phase.

23-Mar-2021: Cabinet approves Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed between India and Japan in the field of Water Resources

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) signed between Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India and Water and Disaster Management Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan in the field of Water Resources.

Benefits: This MoC was signed for development of a long-term cooperation in the field of Water and Delta management, and Water technology in order to increase the exchange of information, knowledge, technology and scientific allied experience, as well as implementation of joint projects between the two countries.

This MoC will help in achieving water security, improved irrigation facility and sustainability in water resources development.

19-Mar-2021: 4th Review meeting held under Indo-Japan Memorandum of Cooperation on Industrial Property

The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Japan Patent Office (JPO), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Ministries’) held the 4th Review meeting under Memorandum of Cooperation on Industrial Property through a virtual platform on 12th March 2021.

The first phase of the meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Guruprasad Mohapatra, Secretary, DPIIT & Mr. Toshihide Kasutani, Commissioner, JPO wherein first year of the pilot Patent Prosecution Highway(PPH) program was reviewed and both sides agreed to recognize each other’s Offices to act mutually as competent ISA/IPEA. The second phase of the meeting was co-chaired by Shri Ravinder, Joint Secretary, DPIIT and Mr. Toshihide Kasutani.

The Ministries reviewed the progress under the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on industrial property between India and Japan and the Action Plan between the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM) of India and the JPO (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Offices’) based on the MoC, and confirmed the views to further deepen the cooperative relationship between both the Offices for the future cooperation.

At the meeting, the Ministries reconfirmed, amidst the challenging times of the Covid19 pandemic, the importance of innovations that support our society and the essence of a robust Industrial Property system for promoting investment and innovation.

The Ministries acknowledged the importance of strengthening IP enforcement, enhancing capacity building, raising IP awareness and encouraging innovation to promote their goals.

The DPIIT expressed its appreciation to the JPO for its cooperation in conducting training programs to welcome trainees from India since the last meeting and the JPO agreed to continue conducting the invitational training programs for Indian stakeholders.

Recognizing the importance of industrial designs as industrial property, the Ministries agreed to continue cooperation in industrial design education.

Both sides agreed to commence the function of Offices acting mutually as competent ISA / IPEA under the PCT, from July 1st, 2021. The Ministries also agreed to hold a meeting of experts, as needed, for smooth and appropriate operation.

They decided to hold a meeting at least once a year of experts to discuss the functioning of the Japan-India Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) pilot program. They agreed to continue holding an Information Exchange Program of patent experts from the Offices to further enhance mutual understanding of the patent examination practices. They also agreed to hold the IT Experts Meeting once a year between the Offices to share information and experiences on initiatives regarding development of IT infrastructure.

12-Feb-2021: MoU with Japan on training of skilled workers

The Government of India and The Government of Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) in January, 2021 on a basic framework for partnership for proper operation of the system pertaining to “Specified Skilled Worker”. Under this MoC, skilled Indian workers from fourteen sectors viz. nursing care; building cleaning; material processing industry; industrial machinery manufacturing industry; electric and electronic information related industry; construction; shipbuilding and ship-related industry; automobile maintenance; aviation; lodging; agriculture; fisheries; food and beverages manufacturing industry and food service industry have been identified for enhanced job opportunities for skilled Indian workers in Japan.

Earlier, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Government of Japan signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) for a period of 10 years on the “Manufacturing Skill Transfer Promotion Programme” In November 2016,. As on date, the Japanese Industry based in India has launched 13 JIMs (Japan-India Institute for Manufacturing) and 5 JECs (Japanese Endowed Course) under Manufacturing Skill Transfer Programme.

MSDE and the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (Government of Japan) signed an MoC in October, 2017, inviting candidates from India to Japan under the Technical Intern Training Program (TITP). The MoC was signed with the objective to significantly expand the bilateral cooperation between India and Japan in the field of skill development. It aims to transform India’s skill ecosystem by sending and accepting technical interns from India to Japan, thereby enabling Indian industries to imbibe the best practices of Japanese industries. So far under the TITP, India has sent 220 candidates to Japan under various sectors such as Agriculture, Construction, Manufacturing, and healthcare.

15-Jan-2021: India and Japan Sign MoU to Enhance Cooperation in the Field of ICT

India and Japan signed MoU to enhance cooperation in the field of Information and Communications Technologies today. MoU was signed by Union Minister for Communications, Electronics and IT Ravi Shankar Prasad and the Japanese Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Takeda Ryota and it was exchanged through a video conference today.

Department of Telecom, Government of India and Ministry of Communications, Government of Japan will enhance mutual cooperation in the field of 5G technologies, telecom security, submarine optical fiber cable system to islands of India, spectrum management, smart cities, high altitude platform for broadband in unconnected areas, disaster management and public safety etc. It has been agreed that apart from Ministry level cooperation, Government of India organization such as C-DOT and ITI Limited along with industry partners from Japan will also part of this cooperation.

Speaking on this occasion the Union Minister for Communication, Electronics and Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad highlighted the timely execution of connecting Andaman & Nicobar Islands with submarine optical fiber cable as a great example of cooperation between India and Japan. He further shared the rapid adoption of innovative digital technologies by India during COVID19 pandemic such as AarogyaSetu app, use of Aadhaar Enabled Payment System for doorstep disbursement of cash by India Post, digital hearings in Courts of India and rapid growth of digital payments. He further highlighted that during COVID19, due to attractive polices like PLI  and SPECS large amount of investments have come to India in the field of electronics manufacturing. He urged the Japanese electronics industry to invest in India and avail the benefits of the new technologies. Minister further highlighted the great potential India holds for Japanese investors in the field of 5G and 5G based services, Internet of Things, digital health technologies etc.

Japanese Minister Mr. Takeda Ryota expressed happiness on signing of MoU between India and Japan and expressed the commitment of Government of Japan towards mutual cooperation and investments in India.

6-Jan-2021: Cabinet approves signing of Memorandum of Cooperation between India and Japan on Partnership in "Specified Skilled Worker"

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi,  has approved the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Government of India and Government of Japan, on a Basic Framework for Partnership for Proper Operation of the System Pertaining to "Specified Skilled Worker".

Details: The present Memorandum of Cooperation would set an institutional mechanism for partnership and cooperation between India and Japan on sending and accepting skilled Indian workers, who have qualified the required skill and Japanese language test, to work in fourteen specified sectors in Japan. These Indian workers would be granted a new status of residence of "Specified Skilled Worker" by the Government of Japan.

Implementation Strategy: Under this MOC, a Joint Working Group will be set up to follow up the implementation of this MOC.

Major Impact: The Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) would enhance people-to -people contacts, foster mobility of workers and skilled professionals from India to Japan.

Beneficiaries: Skilled Indian workers from fourteen sectors viz. Nursing care; Building cleaning; Material Processing industry; Industrial machinery manufacturing industry; Electric and electronic information related industry; Construction; Shipbuilding and ship-related industry; Automobile maintenance; Aviation; Lodging; Agriculture; Fisheries; Food and beverages manufacturing industry and Food service industry would have enhanced job opportunities to work in Japan.

21-Dec-2020: PM's message at India-Japan SAMVAD Conference

Dear Friends,

It is an honour to be addressing the Sixth Indo-Japan SAMVAD Conference.

Five years ago, we began this series of conferences with former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Since then, SAMVAD has travelled from New Delhi to Tokyo, from Yangon to Ulaanbaatar. In this journey, it has remained true to its fundamental objectives: to encourage dialogue and debate; to highlight our shared values of democracy, humanism, Ahimsa, freedom and tolerance; and, to carry forward our ancient tradition of spiritual and scholarly exchanges. I would like to thank the Government of Japan for their constant support to SAMVAD.

Friends,

This forum has done great work to ensure promote the ideas and ideals of Lord Buddha, especially among the youth. Historically, the light of Buddha's message spread out from India to many parts of the world. However, this light did not remain static. In each new place it reached, Buddhist thought continued to evolve further over the Centuries. Because of this, great treasures of Buddhist literature and philosophy can be found in many different monasteries today, across many different countries and languages.

This body of writing is a treasure of humankind as a whole. Today, I would like to propose the creation of a library of all such traditional Buddhist literature and scriptures. We will be happy to create such a facility in India and will provide appropriate resources for it. The library will collect digital copies of all such Buddhist literature from different countries. It will aim to translate them, and make them freely available for all monks and scholars of Buddhism. The library will not only be a depository of literature.

It will also be a platform for research and dialogue - a true 'SAMVAD' between human beings, between societies, and between man and nature. Its research mandate will also include examining how Buddha's message can guide our modern world against contemporary challenges. Challenges like poverty, racism, extremism, gender discrimination, climate change and many others.

Friends,

About three weeks ago, I was at Sarnath. Sarnath is where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. This Jyoti Punj emerged from Sarnath spread across the world embracing the values of Compassion, Nobility and above all, Manav Kalyan the good of entire humanity. And gently, peacefully, it changed the course of world history. It was in Sarnath that Lord Buddha spoke in detail about his ideal of Dhamma. Dhamma for him was more than prayer and rituals. At the Centre of Dhamma are humans, and their relation with fellow humans. Thus, it is most important to be a positive force in the lives of others. SAMVAD should be one that will spread this spirit of positivity, unity and compassion across our planet. That too at a time when we need it the most.

Friends,

This is the first SAMVAD of a new decade. It is happening at a critical moment of human history. Our actions today will shape the discourse in the coming times. This decade and beyond will belong to those societies that place a premium on learning and innovating together. It will be about nurturing bright young minds who will add value to the humanity in the times to come. Learning should be such that furthers innovation. After all, innovation is the corner-stone to human empowerment.

Societies that are open minded, democratic and transparent are better suited to innovate. Therefore, now is the time, more than ever before, to change the paradigm on what we see as growth. Discussions on global growth cannot happen only between a few. The table must be bigger. The agenda must be broader. Growth patterns must follow a human-centric approach. And, be in harmony with our surroundings.

Friends,

It is rightly mentioned in the

यमक वग्गो धम्मपद:

न हि वेरेन वेरानि, सम्मन्तीध कुदाचं।

अवेरेन च सम्मन्ति, एस धम्मो सनन्तनो॥

Hostility will never achieve peace. In the past, humanity took the path of confrontation instead of collaboration. From Imperialism to the world wars. From the arms race to the space race. We had dialogues but they were aimed at pulling others down. Now, let us rise together. Lord Buddha's teachings command the strength to turn the discourse from enmity to empowerment. His teachings make us large-hearted. They tell us: learn from the past and work towards a better future. This is the best service we can do for our future generations.

Friends,

The essence of Samvaad remains togetherness. Let SAMVAD bring out the best in us, together. This is the time to draw upon our ancient values and prepare for the times to come. We must keep humanism at the core of our policies. We must make harmonious co-existence with nature as the central pillar of our existence. SAMVAD, a dialogue with ourselves, with fellow human beings, and with nature can light our way on this path. I compliment the organizers for organizing this important event and wish them all success in their deliberations.

Thank You.

29-Oct-2020: Cabinet approves Memorandum of Cooperation between India and Japan on cooperation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India and Japan on bilateral cooperation in the field of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs).

The MoC will contribute in strengthening bilateral cooperation and mutual understanding in the field of communications and will serve as a strategic initiative for India as Japan is an important partner with “Special Strategic and Global Partnership” status.

The MoC will help in cooperation between two countries in various fields like 5G network, telecom security, Submarine cable, standard certification of communication equipment, utilization of latest Wireless Technologies and ICTs, ICTs capacity building, Public Protection and Disaster Relief, Artificial Intelligence (AI) / Block Chain, Spectrum Chain, Spectrum Management, Cooperation on Multilateral platforms etc.

The MoC will further enhance opportunities for India to get into global standardization process.  Cooperation in ICTs technologies will help in strengthening ICTs infrastructure in the country.  Cooperation in the development of future submarine cable networks and technologies will help in boosting connectivity of mainland India to remote areas.  The MoC aims to promote human capacity building in field of ICTs and further development of startup ecosystem which will contribute in realizing the objectives of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

7-Oct-2020: Signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation in the field of Cybersecurity between India and Japan

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for signing a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC)  in the field of cybersecurity between India and Japan.

The MoC will enhance cooperation in areas of mutual interest, which in­clude inter-alia, capacity building in the area of cyberspace; protection of critical infrastructure; cooperation in emerging technologies; sharing information on cyber security threats/incidents and malicious cyber activities, as well as best prac­tices to counter them; Developing joint mechanisms for practical cooperation to mitigate cyber threats to the security of Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure etc.

India and Japan commit to an open, interoperable, free, fair, secure and reli­able cyberspace environment and to promote the Internet as an engine of innova­tion, economic growth, and trade and commerce that would be consistent with their respective domestic laws and international obligations, and with their wide-ranging strategic partnership.

Both sides, through the MoC, affirm cooperation in the international arena including in the United Nations; Discussing and sharing strategies and best prac­tices to promote the integrity of the supply chain of ICT products; Strengthening the security of ICT infrastructure through Government-to-Government and Business-to-Business cooperation; Continuing dialogue and engagement in Internet governance fora, and to support active participation by all the stakeholders of the two countries in these fora.

10-Sep-2020: India and Japan sign agreement on Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between Forces of both countries

India and Japan signed an Agreement between the two countries concerning Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Armed Forces of India and The Self-Defense Forces of Japan. The agreement was signed here yesterday by Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Ambassador of Japan Mr. Suzuki Satoshi.

This agreement establishes the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the Armed Forces of India and Japan in reciprocal provision of supplies and services while engaged in bilateral training activities, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Humanitarian International Relief and other mutually agreed activities.

The agreement will also enhance the interoperability between the Armed Force of India and Japan thereby further increasing the bilateral defence engagements under the Special Strategic & Global Partnership between the two countries.

31-Aug-2020: Japan’s commits Rs 3,500 crore (approx.) as Official Development Assistance for health sector to fight the COVID-19 crisis in India

The Govt. of Japan has committed Official Development Assistance loan of an amount of JPY50 billion (approx. Rs. 3,500 crore) for the COVID-19 Crisis Emergency Response Support. The Notes were exchanged today between Dr. C.S. Mohapatra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Government of India, and Mr. Suzuki Satoshi, Ambassador, Embassy of Japan to India for a Health sector programme loan to fight the COVID-19 crisis.

Subsequent to the Exchange of Notes, Loan Agreement for this programme loan was signed between Dr. C.S. Mohapatra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India and Mr. Katsuo Matsumoto, Chief Representative, JICA, New Delhi.

This programme loan aims to support India’s efforts in fighting COVID-19 and to prepare the health system to manage future epidemics and also to improve the resilience of India’s health systems against infectious diseases.

In addition, Notes were also exchanged today between Dr. C.S. Mohapatra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, and Mr. Suzuki Satoshi, Ambassador, Embassy of Japan to India for Grant Assistance of an amount of JPY 1 billion (= approx. Rs. 70 crore) from Government of Japan.

This Grant-in-aid from Government of Japan is for providing medical equipment to strengthen the public health and medical system in India. This will strengthen the health care facilities for managing critical and serious patients suffering from COVID-19 infection.

India and Japan have had a long and fruitful history of bilateral development cooperation since 1958. In the last few years, the economic cooperation between India and Japan has strengthened and grown into strategic partnership. This further consolidates and strengthens the Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan.

2-Nov-2018: India and Japan signs a Loan Agreement for the ‘Project for the Construction of Turga Pumped Storage (I)’

A Loan Agreement was signed between India and Japan on Japanese Official Development Assistance loan for the construction of Turga Pumped Storage (I) of Yen 29.442 Billion (Rs. 1817 crore approximately) [Exchange RATE: 1 Rupee= JPY 1.62]

The objective of the Project is to strengthen the capability to respond to fluctuation in supply and demand of power and to improve stability of the power supply by constructing the pumped storage facilities, thereby contributing to the Industrial Development and Living Standard Improvement in the State of West Bengal.

India and Japan have had a long and fruitful history of bilateral development cooperation since 1958.In the last few years, the economic cooperation between India and Japan has steadily progressed. This further consolidates and strengthens the Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan.

30-Oct-2018: India, Japan sign $75 billion currency swap agreement

The Prime Ministers of India and Japan, building on great friendship between the two countries and to further strengthen and widen the depth and diversity of economic cooperation, agreed during Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan, to conclude a Bilateral Currency Swap Agreement for an amount of USD Seventy Five billion. This Swap arrangement particularly reflects the depth of mutual trust and understanding, personal relationship and warmth between the two leaders built over many years.

This arrangement between Japan and India has been the high point of economic and financial agreements between the two countries, during the visit of the Prime Minister of India. This represents an increase of fifty percent over last currency swap arrangement between the two countries. It is indicative of close bonds between the two countries nurtured by the two leaders. As reported, Prime Minister of Japan Mr. Shinzo Abe has said that he is friend of India forever.

The swap arrangement should aid in bringing greater stability to foreign exchange and capital markets in India. With this arrangement in place, prospects of India would further improve in tapping foreign capital for country’s developmental needs. This facility will enable the agreed amount of foreign capital being available to India for use as and when the need  arises.

To encourage investment in infrastructure, RBI will address the resolution on hedging requirement.

Policy interest rate in the USA has seen gradual increase in the recent months. This is one of the causes of strengthening of dollar viz-a-viz other currencies of the world. Strengthening of dollar is also resulting in flight of capital from emerging markets to get better assured returns. Recent months have seen Governments and Central Banks around the world, especially those of emerging economies, taking various policy measures to address the international situation of dollar appreciation and to improve the availability of foreign capital.

To address the issues of outward flow of foreign capital, India has also taken various steps towards containing the Current Account Deficit (CAD) and rupee volatility. It has taken various measures to attract foreign capital which include relaxations in the policy for external borrowings and issuance of offshore rupee bonds (Masala Bonds), review of certain restrictions on FPI investment in debt, hike in customs duty for curtailing imports of non-essential items, promoting exports, financing standing working capital of Oil Marketing Companies by long term external borrowings etc.

Today’s decision of entering into currency swap agreement is another important measure towards improving confidence in the Indian market. This facility will not only enable the agreed amount of Capital being available to India on tap for use, it would also help in bringing down the cost of capital for Indian entities while accessing foreign capital market.

The arrangement is another milestone in mutual cooperation between Japan and India

18-Sep-2017: Japan teams up with India for Northeast

A memorandum of understanding to set up India Japan Act East Forum with an aim to marry India’s Act East Policy with Japan’s Free and Open Asia-Pacific strategy in the backdrop of China’s One Belt One Road initiative is among the major agreements signed during Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to India for the 12th Indo-Japan annual summit. The forum will enhance connectivity and promote developmental projects in India’s Northeast region in an efficient and effective manner.

Japan has cooperated with a variety of development projects in the Northeast, ranging from connectivity infrastructure such as roads and electricity, water supply and sewage, to forest resource management and biodiversity. Recently, India and Japan signed a document on Japanese loan and aid for highway development in the Northeast that can complement India’s connectivity initiatives in Bangladesh, Myanmar and beyond. Japan will extend a loan of Rs 2,239 crore to India for ‘North East Road Network Connectivity Improvement Project’ to improve the National Highway 40 (NH-40) and construct a bypass on NH-54 in the Northeast. The project is expected to contribute to the improvement of the intra-regional and international connectivity through regional economic development.

Japan has a historic connection to the Northeast and is among the few countries that India has allowed a presence in the eight landlocked states which are the country’s gateway to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations members. India and Japan agree that improving connectivity between Asia and Africa is vital for achieving prosperity of the entire region. China has opposed any foreign investments in India’s North East, or the involvement of third-parties in resolving its border dispute with India. It has clearly opposed the involvement of any third party in the region in whatsoever form.

15-Sep-2017: India Signs 76 Million US Dollar Loan Deal with Japan International Cooperation Limited (JICA) to Upgrade Alang-Sosiya Shipyards

The Government of India signed a loan deal worth $76 million with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) today, for a project to upgrade the environment management plan at Alang-Sosiya ship recycling yards. The total cost of the project will be $ 111 million, out of which $76 million will be provided as soft loan from JICA. Out of the remaining amount, $25 million as taxes and fees will be borne by Government of Gujarat and the balance $10 million will be shared by Ministry of Shipping & Government of Gujarat. The project will be executed by Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) and is likely to be completed by 2022.

This project will help the Alang-Sosiya ship-recycling yards to comply with international safety & environmental regulations. This will attract more business at the recycling facilities at Alang, thereby further consolidating India’s share in the global ship-recycling industry.

This project will also help in safeguarding the marine and coastal environment. The use of advanced decontamination technology will rule out the possibility of fire accidents in oil and chemical tankers, thereby ensuring workers safety.

The project is expected to result in increase in direct employment from 50,000 to 92,000 people and in-direct employment from 1.5 lakhs to 3 lakh people.

12-Sep-2017: Cabinet apprised of MoU between India and Japan for collaborative research in the field of silkworm and silk industries

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has been apprised of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Central Silk Board (CSB), India and National Institute of Agro-biological Sciences (NIAS), Japan for collaborative research in the field of silkworm and silk industries.

The MoU was signed on 11.11.2016 between CSB and NIAS for initiating a Collaborative Research for developing prolific bivoltine hybrids of silkworm suitable for the Indian tropical conditions. The MoU is of scientific and technological nature. It would help in developing prolific hybrid silkworms, which would improve the manufacturing capacity and the quality standards of the Indian sericulture industry and thereby enhance exports of silk and silk products.

It is expected that subsequent to the MoU, the Indian Textiles & Apparel Industry would be able to produce world class silk and silk products. The improvement of quality and productivity would ultimately increase export of silk products.

4-Sep-2017: India-Japan sign open sky agreement, fares may come down

India and Japan have agreed to an open sky arrangement under which the airlines of both countries can operate an unlimited number of flights. The agreement was signed after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan PM Shino Abe. The agreement will not only encourage connectivity and passenger travel between the two countries, but will also result in reduction in airfares on these routes.

The agreement was signed in accordance with the National Civil Aviation Policy (NACP), 2016. The NACP permits the government to enter into an ‘open sky’ air services agreement on a reciprocal basis with SAARC nations as well as countries with territory located entirely beyond a 5,000 kilometre radius from New Delhi. Last year, India signed an open sky agreement with Greece, Jamaica, Guyana, Czech Republic, Finland, Spain and Sri Lanka. India also signed a bilateral open sky agreement with the US in 2005. In 2003, India had signed an open sky agreement with the 10-member Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).