State-Prefecture Cooperation Is A Vital Pillar Of India-Japan Friendship, Says PM Modi As He Meets 16 Japanese Governors

During his visit to Tokyo, Prime Minister Narendra Modi engaged with the Governors of 16 Japanese prefectures, underscoring India’s resolve to deepen bilateral relations with Japan through grassroots and regional partnerships.

The meeting placed emphasis on the State-Prefecture Partnership Initiative, designed to enhance cooperation between Indian states and Japanese prefectures across key strategic areas.

Taking to X, PM Modi posted, “This morning in Tokyo, interacted with the Governors of 16 prefectures of Japan. State-prefecture cooperation is a vital pillar of India-Japan friendship. This is also why a separate initiative on it was launched during the 15th Annual India-Japan Summit yesterday. There is immense scope to cooperate in areas like trade, innovation, entrepreneurship and more. Futuristic sectors like Startups, tech and AI too can be beneficial.”

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the outcome of the meeting, made public on Saturday, with spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posting details on social media.

Taking to X, he posted, “Taking greater strides in the steadfast India-Japan ties. PM @narendramodi met with the Governors of 16 prefectures in Tokyo. PM highlighted the potential of states-prefectures collaboration and in this regard urged action under the State-Prefecture Partnership Initiative launched during 15th India-Japan Annual Summit for shared progress. Discussions focused on ways to further deepen the growing partnerships between Indian states and Japanese prefectures in the fields of technology, innovation, investment, skills, start-ups and SMEs.”

During the interaction, Prime Minister Modi stressed the significance of building direct connections between Indian states and Japanese regions, with a focus on technology, innovation, investment, skill development, start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

New India–Japan AI Initiative Announced

On Friday, India and Japan jointly announced the launch of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiative to promote collaboration in Large Language Models (LLMs), training, capacity building, and business support for creating a reliable AI ecosystem.

The two sides also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Digital Partnership 2.0 during Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Tokyo.

Prime Minister Modi invited Prime Minister Ishiba to attend the AI Impact Summit that India will host in February 2026.

Both leaders also reaffirmed their support for start-ups and agreed to encourage Japanese and Indian start-ups in India through the Japan-India Startup Support Initiative (JISSI).

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi addressed the India-Japan Business Forum, where he said Japan’s technological expertise and India’s talent together could drive the technological revolution of the 21st century.

Also Read: PM Modi Stresses India–Japan Commitment To Peaceful Indo-Pacific