Tokyo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday described India’s partnership with Japan as both “strategic and smart,” stressing that the two nations were turning shared interests into shared prosperity while working towards shaping the “Asian Century.”
Speaking at the India-Japan Business Forum in Tokyo, Modi said Japan had always been an important partner in India’s development journey, citing cooperation in sectors ranging from Metro projects and semiconductors to manufacturing and start-ups.
“Japanese companies have invested more than $40 billion in India. In just the last two years, private investment of $13 billion has come in. Capital in India does not just grow, it multiplies,” the Prime Minister said.
Modi underlined India’s transformation over the past 11 years, pointing to political and economic stability, transparency in policies and predictability for investors. He noted that India is the fastest-growing major economy and will soon become the third largest, contributing 18 percent to global growth. He also highlighted strong forex reserves of $700 billion, low inflation and robust capital markets.
Reiterating the government’s “reform, perform and transform” approach, he listed the rollout of GST, the new simplified Income Tax Code and opening sensitive sectors like defence, space and nuclear energy for private players as milestones. “The world is not just watching India, it is counting on India,” Modi said.
Outlining five key areas for deeper bilateral cooperation, Modi identified manufacturing, technology and innovation, green energy transition, next-generation infrastructure and skill development. He said the success of India-Japan collaboration in the automobile sector could be replicated in batteries, robotics, ship-building and nuclear energy.
On technology, Modi described Japan as a “tech powerhouse” and India as a “talent powerhouse,” noting the potential for collaboration in AI, semiconductors, biotech, quantum computing and space. On green energy, he pointed to India’s targets of 500 gigawatts of renewable power by 2030 and 100 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2047, citing a new agreement on the Joint Credit Mechanism for building a clean, green future.
Highlighting advances in infrastructure, Modi said India had doubled port capacity, expanded to 160 airports and built a 1,000 km metro network. He noted that the Mumbai–Ahmedabad bullet train project stood as a symbol of India-Japan cooperation.
On skill development, the Prime Minister urged the creation of a “Japan-ready” Indian workforce through language and soft-skill training, arguing that “a shared workforce will lead to shared prosperity.”
Concluding his address with “Arigatou Gozaimasu,” Modi called India a springboard for Japanese businesses to expand into the Global South. “Together, we will shape the Asian Century—with stability, growth and prosperity,” he said.
