PM Modi's Japan visit after 7 years: Bullet train project, trade deals on agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day trip to Japan (August 29-30) to participate in the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit. This will be his eighth visit, and his first in the last seven years, also the first summit with Japan's Prime Minister H.E. Shigeru Ishiba. Amid rising tariffs from the US, this meeting becomes strategically important as India is focused on deepening bilateral ties. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri highlighted the importance of the highest-level dialogue mechanism that exists between India and Japan.

"Our bilateral relations have expanded steadily in scope and ambition over the last decade, and today comprise trade and investment, defence and security, science and technology, infrastructure and mobility, people-to-people contact, and vibrant cultural engagement between the two sides,” said Vikram Misri in a press briefing.

Although not confirmed by official sources, media reports cite a few primary agendas for the visit.

Bullet Train

According to Kyodo News of Japan, the two leaders are looking to agree on a deal for the next-generation E10 Series Shinkansen bullet train for the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor. An inspection is planned at a manufacturing plant in Miyagi prefecture. Japan has already agreed to give India the retired E5 and E3 Shinkansen trains for testing and commissioning starting in 2026, aiding partial line opening in 2027–28.

$68 billion trade deal

Japan is set to unveil a decade-long private investment initiative across sectors like semiconductors, essential minerals, communications, clean energy, artificial intelligence and pharmaceutical products. The investment amount is valued at 10 trillion yen ($68 billion).

Defence cooperation

The defence cooperation has emerged as an important pillar of cooperation between the two countries. India and Japan are co-developing the Unified Complex Radio Antenna, the UNICORN project. It is going to serve as a common radar mast for the Indian Navy platform. India has already signed a memorandum for implementation in November 2024. There is an ongoing defence dialogue between DRDO and ATLA over cooperation and transfer of technology. The Indian Navy and the Japanese Maritime are exploring cooperation in ship maintenance. According to Vikram Misri, these agendas are being constantly refreshed with additional items on the list. The deeper narrative is strengthening strategic and defence ties.

Broader Diplomatic Context

With the 50 per cent punitive tariff kicking in on August 27, India's exports are likely to face heat. Infrastructure investment from Japan is likely to act as a buffer to diversify the export market outside the US. Official data shows India’s total trade with Japan up to January 2025 amounted to $21 billion, with India running a trade deficit of $10.8 billion. Although it will be difficult to cushion the impact of tariffs, India and Japan's insulated bilateral ties will reduce India's vulnerability to US tariffs. India is also looking to upgrade their 2008 Declaration on Security Cooperation, policy dialogues and technology transfer. With the Quad summit expected to be held later in 2025, this is India's attempt at practical cooperation for infrastructure development and to make supply chains more resilient. PM Modi will travel to China from August 31 to September 1, 2025, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, with a potential attempt at strengthening the security, economic cooperation, cultural exchange, and digital & infrastructure development. It will also be the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the World's Anti-Fascist War victory and the founding of the UN.