Why has India-Japan cooperation not translated into deeper strategic integration?
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Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s three-day visit to New Delhi in July 2026 for the India-Japan summit appears to have elevated relations between the two Asian countries into a fresh phase of strategic expansion. Ties had already undergone a remarkable transformation over the past decade, evolving from a largely economic and development partnership into one of Asia’s most consequential strategic relationships.
At its core, the logic of India-Japan convergence rests on a growing recognition that both countries have a stake in preserving a stable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific amid China’s expanding influence, safeguarding critical sea lanes, and strengthening economic resilience through diversified supply chains and trusted technology partnerships.
This convergence has produced tangible cooperation through defense dialogues, maritime exercises, and collaboration in areas such as semiconductors, critical technologies, and economic security. The defense understandings reached during the Takaichi visit, including progress on defense equipment and technology cooperation, reflect a growing focus on developing each other’s defense industries alongside strengthening military cooperation.
As Japan moves beyond the constraints of its post-war security framework toward a more proactive strategic posture, its partnership with India is often framed as a natural and necessary pillar of the Indo-Pacific regional order. From the articulation of the “Free and Open...