‘New chapter in India-Japan partnership’: PM Modi, PM Takaichi announce defence agreement, naval exercises
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "‘New chapter in India-Japan partnership’: PM Modi, PM Takaichi announce defence agreement, naval exercises")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: (ANI)
PM Modi and Japan's PM Sanae Takaichi signed the first defence co-development pact with Japan involving the Unicorn naval antenna, while expanding cooperation on Indo-Pacific security, energy and AI.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Thursday (Jul 2) reaffirmed their commitment to maintain regional security during the joint press conference following bilateral talks in New Delhi as part of the India-Japan Summit 2026. The two leaders also announced the signing of a defence agreement on the first co-development project between India and Japan, which involves the Naval Radio Antenna ‘Unicorn’. This project is set to deepen defence ties between the two countries.
“Today, both India and Japan are among the world's largest economies. A free, prosperous, and rules-based Indo-Pacific is our shared priority. As the region’s largest democratic and market economies, we have undertaken several significant initiatives today. Together, these will pave the way for peace, stability, and progress across the entire region,” PM Modi said.
“In the defence sector, we have signed an agreement today on the first co-development project between India and Japan. This project, involving the Naval Radio Antenna Unicorn, will open a new chapter in our defence technology partnership.”
The prime minister added that India and Japan will jointly develop defence technologies that strengthen regional peace, maritime security, and the rules-based order.
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Speaking at the presser, Takaichi said, “Our two countries share the vision on the profile of the international order we should establish under the current international situation. I recently announced the updated FOIP (Free and Open Indo-Pacific), which focuses on self-reliance and resilience to realise FOIP.”
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She added, “On the other hand, Prime Minister Modi positions the ocean as a shared space that supports regional stability and growth and is promoting the Mahasagar, the Great Ocean Initiative for countries across the Indian Ocean to defend their sovereignty and the sea through their own efforts, which is perfectly aligned with FOIP. Thus, we agreed to deepen the strategic cooperation between Japan and India to achieve such common goals. Expansion of maritime security cooperation is especially important for regional peace and stability.”
Takaichi also announced India-Japan joint naval exercises in the Indian Ocean involving a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer and an Indian Navy vessel to promote naval maintenance, repair and overhaul cooperation and strengthen equipment cooperation under the Make in India framework.
“In order to deepen such cooperation, I have instructed the relevant departments to hold discussions and to organise the next Japan-India 2+2 before the end of the year,” she added.
The two leaders also signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC), announcing a joint declaration on key issues, including economic security, energy resilience, artificial intelligence, critical minerals, pharma, gen mobility, biogas, and upstream development of oil and gas.
Watch | India-Japan summit: PM Modi says 'adding new chapter in strategic ties'
