PM Modi jets-off to Tokyo around midnight on 28 August and arrive in Japan on 29 and 30 August for the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit with Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba.
According to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri this will be PM Modi’s first annual summit with his Japanese counterpart, and is first standalone visit to Japan in nearly seven years. He last visited for the annual summit in 2018. Adding that the visit will be fully dedicated to the bilateral agenda between the two countries. This will be PM Narendra Modi’s eighth visit to Japan since he took office in 2014.
“The annual summit between India and Japan represents the highest level dialogue mechanism that exists between the two countries and it drives the agenda of the India-Japan special strategic and global partnership,” the foreign secretary added.
PM Narendra Modi last met PM Ishiba in June 2025 in Kananaskis, Canada, on the sidelines of the G7 Summit. “India and Japan are two countries that share values, trust and strategic outlook on several issues. They are Asia’s two leading democracies and amongst the world’s top five economies.
As per Misri the
India-Japan Annual Summit will give both prime ministers the opportunity to conduct an in-depth review of ties in various sectors, such as trade and investment, defence and security, and science and technology.
Both leaders are expected to assess progress made in the last few years across multiple domains and exchange views on important regional and global issues.
Misri further added that over the last decade India-Japan bilateral relations have expanded steadily in scope and ambitious and the visit would also be an opportunity to launch several new initiatives to build greater resilience in the relationship and respond to emerging opportunities and challenges.
PM Modi is also expected to participate in a business leaders’ forum with Indian and Japanese industry members.
PM Modi is also scheduled to discuss matters related to the Quad group and enhancing security and peace in the Indo-Pacific region. Both India and Japan are members of the Quad along with the United States and Australia.
At the press briefing Misri said that India attaches a high value to the Quad group, which is seen as a counterweight to China in the Indo-Pacific, despite strained ties with the United States, a fellow member.
On Saturday, PM Modi and Ishiba are also expected to take a tour of Tokyo Electron Factory, the famed Japanese electronics and semiconductor company headquartered in Akasaka.
The Japanese Foreign Ministry has announced that the two leaders will also travel to Miyagi Prefecture on 30 August to inspect the Tohoku Shinkansen plant in Sendai.
The leaders are expected to sign an agreement on the introduction of Japanese E-10 coaches, to be transferred to India in 2030 for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail or the ‘Bullet Train’ project.
The annual summit represents the highest level dialogue mechanism that exists between the two countries.
From Japan, Modi will fly to the Chinese port city of Tianjin for the summit of the regional security bloc Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, his first visit to China in more than seven years.
The visit is Modi’s first standalone trip to Japan in seven years, emphasizing the importance of India-Japan relations.
Key discussions will include trade, investment, defense, and security, particularly regarding the Quad group’s role in the Indo-Pacific.
New initiatives are expected to be launched to enhance cooperation and address emerging global challenges.
News Edit KV Raman
