Tokyo– India and Japan on Friday announced the launch of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Cooperation Initiative to advance collaboration in large language models (LLMs), training, capacity building, and support for businesses and start-ups to build a trustworthy AI ecosystem.
The two nations also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Digital Partnership 2.0 during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tokyo.
Following the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit, Prime Minister Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba announced the new initiative, which will focus on strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation in AI, including LLMs, fostering industry-academia exchange, supporting joint research projects, and facilitating the development and operation of data centers in India.
Modi also invited Ishiba to attend the AI Impact Summit, which India will host in February 2026. The two leaders stressed the importance of start-up support and agreed to boost activities through the Japan-India Startup Support Initiative (JISSI).
According to the list of outcomes released after the summit, both nations signed an agreement to enhance collaboration in digital public infrastructure, development of digital talent, and joint research and development in futuristic technologies such as AI, IoT, and semiconductors.
India and Japan also launched the Next-Generation Mobility Partnership to foster government-to-government and business-to-business ties in infrastructure, logistics, and mobility sectors — particularly railways, aviation, roads, shipping, and ports — with an emphasis on Make-in-India solutions.
The two countries announced an action plan to promote a two-way exchange of 500,000 people, including 50,000 skilled and semi-skilled workers from India to Japan over the next five years.
In addition, India and Japan launched the Sustainable Fuel Initiative to promote energy security, strengthen farmer livelihoods, and advance research and development in biogas and biofuels.
The summit also marked the launch of the India-Japan Small and Medium Enterprises Forum to deepen collaboration between SMEs, described by both sides as the “engines” of their respective economies.
Both governments unveiled an Economic Security Initiative to promote supply chain resilience in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, clean energy, telecom, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals, alongside other emerging technologies. The two sides agreed to conduct high-level exchanges between Indian states and Japanese prefectures, with three visits in each direction to be organized by the Foreign Ministries.
An MoU was also signed between the Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service and Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to promote exchanges between diplomats, academics, officials, and researchers, aimed at strengthening mutual understanding in foreign policy. (Source: IANS)
