Official Document of the Government of India: Annual Report on India-Japan Bilateral Relations

Key Chapter Title List

1. Summits and Other High-Level Political Exchanges
2. India-Japan Act East Forum
3. Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation
4. Defense Cooperation
5. Defense Ministerial Meetings and Other High-Level Exchanges
6. Economic and Commercial Relations
7. Science and Technology Cooperation
8. Space Cooperation (between ISRO and JAXA)
9. Environmental Cooperation
10. Education, Culture, and People-to-People Exchanges
11. India-Japan Forum
12. Indian Community in Japan

Document Introduction

This report is an annual official assessment document issued by the Government of India regarding India-Japan bilateral relations. It comprehensively records the progress and deepening of the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between the two countries across various dimensions up to early 2025. Rooted in the profound historical and cultural ties between the two nations, the report focuses on contemporary multi-layered and comprehensive strategic cooperation. It provides an authoritative official perspective for understanding the coordination and interaction between India and Japan within the Indo-Pacific and global landscape.

The report's structure systematically covers the core pillars of the bilateral relationship. At the political and strategic level, the document details the three upgrades in the level of relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1952 (Global Partnership in 2000, Strategic and Global Partnership in 2006, Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014), as well as the ongoing high-level visits and annual summit mechanism. It particularly emphasizes the strategic synergy between India's Act East Policy, its Indo-Pacific vision based on the SAGAR principle, the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI), and Japan's vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. Furthermore, the report elaborates on the close collaboration between the two countries within multilateral frameworks, including the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), the India-Japan-Australia Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI), and policy coordination in international forums such as the G20 and G7.

Security and defense cooperation constitute a key pillar of the bilateral relationship. The report enumerates a series of foundational agreements signed by both sides, covering joint security declarations, defense equipment and technology transfer, protection of classified military information, and the Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services Agreement (RPSS). The document highlights a series of joint military exercises, including the Malabar naval exercise, JIMEX (Japan-India Maritime Exercise), and the Dharma Guardian army exercise, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding between the two navies for the joint development of the UNICORN mast. These institutionalized and regularized cooperative interactions reflect the shared concerns of both countries for peace, security, and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as the growing trend of defense integration.

In the economic and technological fields, the report provides detailed data and analysis. Bilateral economic and trade relations are guided by the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) framework. Japan is a significant source of Foreign Direct Investment for India (approximately 43.2 billion USD cumulative, ranking fifth) and the largest provider of bilateral Official Development Assistance. There are numerous cooperative projects, with landmark examples including the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, the Clean Energy Partnership, and the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative. The report also emphasizes the expansion of cooperation into emerging areas such as semiconductor supply chains, digital partnership, industrial competitiveness, skill development (e.g., JIM, JEC, TITP programs), and healthcare, indicating that bilateral economic cooperation is deepening towards high-technology and high-value-added directions.

Finally, the report outlines the flourishing people-to-people exchanges and civil society bonds, including extensive collaboration between academic institutions, the India-Japan Tourism Exchange Year 2023-2024, sister city/state relationships, and the growing community of Indian professionals in Japan. These exchanges lay a solid social and cultural foundation for the strategic partnership. Compiled based on official records of exchanges, agreement texts, statistical data, and high-level dialogue content, this report serves as a valuable primary source for studying the dynamics of India-Japan bilateral relations and assessing the strategic intentions and practical effectiveness of cooperation between the two countries.