India-Japan Defence Push: PM Modi Opens Doors For Japanese Partnerships With Indian Start-Ups

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday outlined opportunities for Japan to partner with Indian companies and start-ups in the defence sector as Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi called on him during his official visit to India.

During the meeting, PM Modi recalled his discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during her recent visit to India for the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit in July. He appreciated the steady momentum in defence cooperation between the two countries.

Taking to X, PM Modi posted, “Pleased to receive Defence Minister of Japan Shinjiro Koizumi. Had an excellent conversation on deepening defence and security ties between India and Japan. Our Special Strategic and Global Partnership is an important anchor for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. ”

Pleased to receive Defence Minister of Japan Shinjiro Koizumi. Had an excellent conversation on deepening defence and security ties between India and Japan. Our Special Strategic and Global Partnership is an important anchor for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific… pic.twitter.com/jHbV6cd6fG

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 20, 2026

The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of India-Japan defence and security cooperation in promoting peace, stability and prosperity across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

“Prime Minister outlined opportunities for Japan to partner with Indian companies and start-ups in the defence sector, particularly for co-development and co-production under the aegis of ‘Make in India’.

Defence Minister Koizumi briefed the Prime Minister about the progress in bilateral defence cooperation and reaffirmed the Government of Japan’s continued commitment towards deepening ties with India,” the PMO said.

Further Engagements

Koizumi, who met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day, said he would work to turn the discussions into concrete outcomes.

In a joint statement following the meeting, India and Japan stressed the importance of sharing assessments of the regional and international security environment amid heightened global tensions.

The two sides opposed unilateral actions that undermine freedom and safety of navigation and overflight, as well as attempts to alter the status quo through force or coercion.

Recalling the Japan-India Joint Statement issued in July 2026, Singh and Koizumi reaffirmed their commitment to deepening defence cooperation towards a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The Ministers agreed to strengthen operational cooperation in maritime security and signed a Memorandum of Arrangement on Maritime Security Cooperation.

“The Memorandum provides a framework for further advancing cooperation between the two countries in the field of maritime security. Specifically, it includes the strengthening of cooperation between the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Indian Navy, including information sharing in the field of Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), as well as enhanced cooperation in areas such as Search and Rescue (SAR) and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR),” the Joint Statement said.

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