Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday warmly welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi during the India-Japan Annual Summit in New Delhi, addressing her as his “younger sister” in a gesture that added a personal touch to the high-level diplomatic meeting.

The remark came as PM Modi hosted Takaichi on her first official visit to India as Japan’s Prime Minister. Speaking at the joint press statement, Modi said India was pleased to welcome the Japanese leader and described the partnership between the two countries as one built on trust, shared values and long-term cooperation.

Takaichi responded to the gesture with a smile and said that both leaders had earlier agreed to build their relationship in the spirit of “brother and sister.” She thanked PM Modi and the people of India for the warm hospitality and said Japan and India must use their respective strengths to grow stronger and more prosperous together.
 

Beyond the warm exchange between the two leaders, the summit carried major strategic importance. India and Japan announced a series of initiatives aimed at expanding cooperation in defence, economic security, clean energy, artificial intelligence, critical technologies and resilient supply chains.

The two countries also moved forward on a defence co-development project, marking an important step in military technology cooperation. The focus on defence and maritime security comes at a time when the Indo-Pacific region remains central to the strategic priorities of both nations.
 

PM Modi said technology partnership would remain one of the most important pillars of India-Japan cooperation. Both sides also issued a joint statement on artificial intelligence, with India’s software capabilities and Japan’s advanced technology expected to play a key role in future collaboration.

Energy security was another major topic during the talks. The two sides discussed cooperation in areas such as clean energy, petroleum stockpiling, biogas and sustainable development. These initiatives are expected to support India’s energy transition while strengthening Japan’s role as a long-term strategic partner.
 

The summit also highlighted the importance of economic security and supply chain resilience. India and Japan are looking to strengthen cooperation in key sectors such as semiconductors, critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, clean energy and information technology.

Both countries have built a strong economic partnership over the years, with Japan playing a major role in India’s infrastructure and industrial development. The Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project remains one of the most visible examples of Japanese investment in India.
 

PM Modi and Sanae Takaichi also discussed the Indo-Pacific, where both India and Japan share an interest in maintaining peace, stability and freedom of navigation. Maritime cooperation is expected to remain a key part of the bilateral agenda.

The summit underlined that India-Japan ties have moved beyond traditional diplomacy and now include defence technology, clean energy, digital innovation, mobility, logistics and regional security.

With Takaichi’s first India visit and the new agreements signed during the summit, both countries signalled that their Special Strategic and Global Partnership is entering a stronger and more practical phase.