Japan PM Sanae Takaichi Receives Ceremonial Welcome as India-Japan Summit Begins; Trade, Defence and Economic Security in Focus

India-Japan Summit 2026, Sanae Takaichi India visit, Narendra Modi, India-Japan relations, economic security, and Indo-Pacific partnership are in focus as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi began her first official visit to India with a ceremonial welcome at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The high-level visit marks the start of the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit, where the two countries are expected to deepen cooperation in trade, defence, critical technologies and resilient supply chains.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Takaichi at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where she was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour by marching contingents of India's armed forces. The ceremonial reception underscored the warmth of bilateral ties and set the tone for discussions aimed at strengthening the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

The summit agenda includes talks on economic security, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, clean energy, defence cooperation and investment. The two leaders are also expected to review progress under the Japan-India Joint Vision for the Next Decade, announced during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Tokyo in 2025.

A key outcome of the summit is expected to be a Joint Declaration on Economic Security Cooperation, which will focus on strengthening resilient supply chains, promoting collaboration in strategic technologies, expanding clean energy partnerships and enhancing cooperation in critical minerals. The initiative reflects the growing convergence between economic resilience and national security amid evolving geopolitical challenges in the Indo-Pacific.

The visit is also expected to boost economic engagement, with Japanese companies anticipated to sign around 120 cooperation agreements spanning batteries, biogas, upstream oil and gas, green ammonia and other strategic sectors. More than 150 Japanese firms are participating in the accompanying business engagements, highlighting Japan's continued confidence in India's growth potential.

India and Japan elevated their relationship to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014, and cooperation has since expanded across infrastructure, digital technologies, defence, clean energy and people-to-people exchanges. As both countries navigate supply chain disruptions and regional security challenges, the latest summit is expected to further reinforce their role as key partners in promoting a free, open and resilient Indo-Pacific.