India's Ambassador to Japan, Sibi George, on Thursday said that several important Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) are expected to be signed, and outcome documents will be released during the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan. George, in a conversation, stated that this visit is expected to give new momentum to the India-Japan relationship over the next decade, built on a solid foundation of political, economic, and people-to-people ties. "This is not the first time they have met. The Honourable Prime Minister has met Prime Minister Ishiba on two previous occasions, at the Laos Summit and during the G7 Summit in Canada. This is the first visit of the Prime Minister since Prime Minister Ishiba assumed office. This is an important annual summit, and as I mentioned, we have a series of important outcomes which we are working on during this visit," he said. PM Modi is set to visit Japan on August 29-30, 2025, at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. This visit marks the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit, where the two leaders will discuss various aspects of their strategic partnership. George said that there will be several MoUs to be signed during the visit. "I'm very happy to note that we will have a great visit, which will cover the entire spectrum of our relationships, giving new momentum to our relationship for the next 10 years. There will be a lot of MOUs which will be signed, very important MOUs will be signed and very important outcome documents will be released," he said.
He also added that every corner of Japan has an Indian touch, which shows the nature of the relationship between the two countries. India and Japan have an excellent relationship. We have an excellent political relationship, business relationship, and of course, people-to-people connections. If you go to this country, any part of this country, you will see an India connect, any part of this country," he said. He further told that in 2014, Prime Minister Modi and then-Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe signed an agreement that established a strategic and global partnership between the two countries. "We have a very solid base on which to build our relationship. Ten years ago, in 2014, the Honourable Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi, and the then Prime Minister of Japan, Mr Abe, entered into an agreement establishing a special strategic and global partnership for India-Japan relations," he said. "We have, in the last more than 10 years, been working towards building that partnership, and we can see that there is significant progress in every element of that relationship, at both the bilateral and plurilateral levels," he added. George noted that the bilateral ties between the two nations have improved over the years. "In the bilateral level, we have very good political relationship. We have seen how our economic relationship has transformed over the years. And, of course, this year we are celebrating as the India-Japan Year of Science, Technology, and Innovation Exchanges. So we have been working on each of these elements," he said. He further stated that this visit is a means to take stock of the relations. "And this is the time to take a review, a review of the progress we have made, and to come up with a roadmap to take the relationship further to the next higher level in the coming 10 years. So this visit to the annual summit is a great occasion to review that relationship and also take it to a new, higher level of partnership," he said. The Quad grouping, comprising India, Japan, Australia, and the US, will be a significant topic of discussion. Ambassador Sibi George emphasised that the Quad has made significant progress since its inception in 2004 and has a concrete agenda for promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. "India's special strategic and global partnership has the entire spectrum of relationships. It is not only bilateral, but it is also plurilateral and multilateral. So in the plurilateral framework, QUAD is an important framework, an important group of four like-minded countries coming together with concrete, positive proposals to build a relationship for the peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," he said. The summit will discuss the geopolitical situation in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Quad's role in promoting peace and stability "So when two important leaders of Indo-Pacific, India and Japan, meet, particularly in this geopolitical situation, they will talk about the entire spectrum of geopolitical issues. And of course, QUAD is a very important topic that will be covered in the discussions," he said.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day Japan visit is set to begin, both nations have accelerated trade and economic ties, with over 170 MoUs signed in two years representing more than $13 billion in committed investments. PM Modi will travel to Japan from August 29-30 to take part in the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba. From steel plants in Gujarat to biogas projects in rural India, from Assam's gateway role to Tokyo's advanced Research and Development labs, from farmers in rural India to AI engineers in Bengaluru and Tokyo, from semiconductor fabs to academic exchanges, the India–Japan MoUs are building the bridge to a new era of cooperation. With 'Make in India, Make for the World' as guiding vision, this partnership is set to reshape industrial, agricultural, and human capital landscapes, not only for the two nations but for the whole region and the world at large. Nippon Steel (AM/NS India) is expanding in Gujarat with Rs 15 billion investments, along with Rs 56 billion integrated steel plant in Andhra Pradesh. While Suzuki Motor has announced Rs 350 billion for a new plant in Gujarat and Rs 32 billion to expand production lines, Toyota Kirloskar has Rs 33 billion expansion plans in Karnataka and a Rs 200 billion new plant in Maharashtra. Sumitomo Realty has invested $4.76 billion in real estate, while JFE Steel has Rs 445 billion worth of investment to strengthen electrical steel production. Astroscale is the first Japanese commercial satellite launch using ISRO's PSLV. This spread of investment across steel, automotive, renewables, semiconductors, real estate, and aerospace cements Japan’s confidence in India’s long-term economic potential. Japanese industry partnerships are pulling Indian SMEs into global supply chains. Tokyo Electron and Fujifilm, and Tata Electronics are building a semiconductor ecosystem, with Indian SMEs becoming suppliers for high-value components. Toyota and Suzuki's value chains will integrate hundreds of tier 2 and 3 Indian SMEs. Fujitsu is recruiting 9,000 Indian engineers in its Global Capability Centre, boosting IT-linked SMEs. With these initiatives, SMEs will gain global-standard practices, technology infusion, and market access, elevating India’s export competitiveness. Japanese cooperation is also directly empowering India’s rural economy through green energy projects. Sojitz Corporation, in partnership with Indian Oil, is investing $395 million to establish 30 biogas plants that will produce 1.6 million tonnes annually. Farmers will supply crop residues and agri-waste, earning additional income while supporting India’s clean energy transition. Suzuki Motor Corporation, working with the National Dairy Development Board and local dairy cooperatives, is launching a biogas initiative adopted by UNIDO under its Industrial Cooperation Programme in the Global South (funded by Japan’s METI). Starting operations in 2025, four biogas production plants in Banaskantha district in Gujarat were made with a total investment of Rs 2.3 billion. This project will convert cow dung into carbon-neutral biogas for CNG vehicles, which make up 20 per cent of India’s passenger car market. This will cut emissions, strengthen energy self-sufficiency, create rural jobs, and raise farmer incomes, while embedding Japanese technology into scalable clean-energy infrastructure. Moreover, Nippon Steel's projects will boost speciality steel exports to auto and energy markets. Toyota and Suzuki's hybrid/EV 'Made in India' vehicles will be exported to Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. When it comes to human resources and knowledge exchange, the area is rapidly expanding under the India–Japan Talent Bridge programme and METI initiatives. As part of the 'Talent Exchange Target', 50,000 Indians and Japanese are part of the exchange programme in five years via study abroad, internships, and employment. Professors and students are being invited for company visits, university roundtables, and networking with Japanese firms. A notable MoU was recently signed between the government of Assam and ASEAN Holdings, highlighting Japan's commitment to India’s northeast. This also dovetails with Japan’s long-standing interest in the Act East Policy and the development of the northeast. At the Japan-India-Africa Forum and the recently held 9th TICAD Summit in Tokyo, India emerged as an anchor country for connectivity and industrial corridors. Priority areas are mineral security (rare earths, lithium, cobalt); supply chain resilience in semiconductors and EVs; and exploring export markets in Africa and the Middle East for Made-in-India goods with Japanese technology.