01 July,2026 11:08 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi waves upon her arrival at the airport in New Delhi on Wednesday. PIC/PTI
Japanese Prime Minister (PM) Sanae Takaichi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday evening on a three-day official visit during which she will participate in the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit and hold bilateral talks with her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi.
Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh received Takaichi on her arrival.
Welcoming the Japanese leader, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the visit marked "an important step" in advancing the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
Takaichi will be accorded a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday before holding summit-level talks with PM Modi. The two leaders are expected to review the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest.
The Japanese PM is also scheduled to participate in a business forum during her visit, which is her first official trip to India since assuming office.
Ahead of her departure from Tokyo, Takaichi underlined the importance of strengthening cooperation with India amid the evolving global geopolitical landscape.
"Through this visit, I hope to advance concrete cooperation with Prime Minister Modi in three key areas: deepening the Japan-India strategic partnership in light of the current international situation; promoting cooperation in economic security; and strengthening collaboration between businesses of our two countries in investment and innovation," she told reporters.
She also highlighted the Japan-India Joint Economic Forum, which will be attended by representatives of more than 150 Japanese companies and business organisations.
"Working together with the private sector, I hope to broaden the scope of Japan-India cooperation and realise a strong economy," she said.
Takaichi further stated that India and Japan shared the responsibility of maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and expressed her desire to discuss cooperation under the Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) vision, including through the Quad framework.
She also said she hoped the visit, undertaken at PM Modi's invitation, would further strengthen the personal trust between the two leaders.
Earlier on Wednesday, Japan's Ambassador to India, Ono Keiichi, described Takaichi's visit as a "great opportunity" to deepen people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
Speaking during the Japan Session of the Human Resource Mobility Forum hosted by the MEA, the ambassador said stronger people-to-people ties remain the cornerstone of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
The MEA also highlighted emerging opportunities for collaboration in skill-based mobility between the two countries during the forum.
(With IANS inputs)
