PM leaves for Japan, to give push to economic security, clean energy

The 2025 Annual Summit between India and Japan, to be held in Tokyo on August 29–30 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, is expected to set new benchmarks in economic security, clean energy, digital technologies and people-centric cooperation, further consolidating the ​special ​strategic and ​global ​partnership, officials said here on Thursday.

Notably, India and Japan have shared a special strategic and global partnership, rooted in civilizational ties and reinforced by convergence in regional and global outlooks.

This will be PM Modi's eighth visit to Japan since he took office in 2014 and his second meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Modi had earlier met Ishiba during the G7 summit in Canada in June this year.

As per the Japanese Foreign Ministry, PM Ishiba will ho​s​t a working dinner ​for PM Modi and later visit Miyagi prefecture​ with him.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri had recently said the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) would be a key subject of discussion when Prime Minister Modi meets his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo.

"....In recent years, Quad's agenda has expanded to include practical cooperation on health security, critical and emerging technologies, supply chain resilience, infrastructure development and, importantly, critical minerals,” Misri had said.

The Foreign Secretary had underlined that both India and Japan attached high value to the Quad partnership and “look forward to working with all Quad partners to take cooperation forward.”

As per sources, both sides could review the progress of ​"civil nuclear cooperation​" since the landmark 2016 agreement on peaceful uses of nuclear energy.

The pact, in force since July 2017, enabled Japanese participation in India’s nuclear sector. The fourth meeting of the Joint Working Group on Civil Nuclear Cooperation, held in India in July 2025, has already prepared the ground for leader-level talks on advancing cooperation in nuclear safety and clean energy transition.

The summit will likely focus on economic security and supply chains, especially in semiconductors, digital infrastructure and new technologies. Japan has been one of India’s most reliable partners in infrastructure and development, remaining the largest Official Development Assistance (ODA) donor. Flagship projects such as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail and large-scale metro networks underscore the depth of cooperation.

On trade and investment, bilateral flows have been steady, with Japan ranking as India’s fifth-largest FDI source and around 1,400 Japanese companies operating in India. Sources said the summit could seek to expand emerging sectors like clean energy, startups, and skill development, alongside traditional infrastructure projects.

People-to-people ties, cultural exchanges, and educational cooperation are also on the agenda. Over 665 academic partnerships and a 54,000-strong Indian diaspora in Japan continue to add strength to the relationship.