International Relations GS 2 In the news 15 times

India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership

India and Japan elevated their relationship to a "Special Strategic and Global Partnership" in 2014 under PM Modi and PM Abe. The partnership has expanded across infrastructure (Japan's Official Development Assistance to India — the largest bilateral ODA programme), defence, digital technology, clean energy, and now critical minerals.

Key details

Bilateral trade: ~$20 billion (FY24-25); Japan is one of India's top ODA partners
Japan-India CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) in force since 2011
Japan's ODA to India: Largest in the world by volume — funding metro rail projects (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai), Dedicated Freight Corridors, high-speed rail (Mumbai-Ahmedabad Shinkansen), and the North-East connectivity projects
Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP): Both India and Japan are key architects of this geopolitical vision emphasising rules-based maritime order — rare earth cooperation is part of this geoeconomic dimension
2023: Inaugural India-Japan Economic Security Dialogue — emphasised critical minerals, semiconductors, and supply chain resilience
Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue): India, US, Japan, Australia — critical mineral supply chain cooperation is a key Quad deliverable

In the news

● Tracked since March 03, 2026 · last seen August 23, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

23 Aug '26

Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Piyush Goyal Leads A 200-Member Business Delegation to Japan

Economics

21 Aug '26

India-Japan maritime security pact: What the new Memorandum of Arrangement means | Explained