Japan PM Sanae Takaichi to make first official visit to India in July

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will make her first official visit to India next month during which she is scheduled to travel to capital New Delhi. PM Takaichi is expected to arrive in New Delhi on 1 July for a three-day trip that includes bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Officials cited the ongoing session of the Diet (Japan’s parliament) and the narrow window available for international travel for the short trip.

The itinerary will allow both sides to focus on key programming aimed at boosting economic, defence and technological ties. Discussions are likely to cover supply-chain resilience, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, automobiles and defence cooperation amid shared concerns over regional stability.

Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister and a close ally of the late Shinzo Abe, assumed office in late 2025. She has prioritised strengthening the “Special Strategic and Global Partnership” with India, building on initiatives such as the Japan-India Joint Vision for the Next Decade.

A large Japanese business delegation of around 50 executives, including leaders from Suzuki, Toyota Tsusho and Itochu, is expected to accompany the prime minister. The visit comes at a time of deepening economic links. Japan remains one of India’s largest development partners, with significant investments in infrastructure, high-speed rail and manufacturing. Both nations have ramped up collaboration in the Indo-Pacific, including through the Quad grouping.