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India and Japan signed a Memorandum of Arrangement (MoA) on Maritime Security Cooperation on 20 August 2026, during the India–Japan Defence Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi. The agreement seeks to strengthen operational cooperation between the Indian Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) through Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), joint exercises, naval logistics, ship visits, repair facilities and information sharing.

Evolution of India–Japan Relations

• India–Japan ties have historical roots dating to the 6th century, particularly through the spread of Buddhism.
• After World War II, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru gifted an elephant to Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo in 1949, symbolising friendship and optimism. Japan extended its first formal yen loans to India in 1958.
• Strategically, relations progressed from a Global Partnership (2000) to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership (2014), with annual summits since 2006. More than 70 dialogue mechanisms, including the 2 2 Foreign and Defence Ministers’ Dialogue, facilitate cooperation.

Maritime and Defence Cooperation

The new MoA provides a framework for:

• Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) and information sharing.
• Search and Rescue (SAR) and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
• Protection of Sea Lines of Communication (SLOCs) through naval ship visits and joint exercises.
• Reciprocal access to ports, maintenance and repair facilities.
• Personnel and Subject Matter Expert exchanges.
• Greater complexity in exercises, including unmanned systems and multi-domain operations.

Both sides will also explore joint naval shipbuilding and design, combining Japan’s technological expertise with India’s production capabilities under Make in India. Cooperation between DRDO and Japan’s ATLA in advanced defence technologies is also being strengthened.

Existing defence mechanisms include the 2014 Defence Cooperation MoU, 2015 agreements on defence technology transfer and classified information, the 2018 Navy cooperation arrangement, and the 2020 Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services (RPSS) agreement. The two countries are also collaborating on UNICORN communication masts for Indian Navy ships.

Wider Strategic and Economic Partnership

• The relationship extends beyond defence. The India–Japan CEPA, operational since 2011, covers trade, services, investment, intellectual property and movement of persons. Bilateral trade reached about US$27.48 billion in FY2025–26, although the trade balance remains strongly tilted towards Japan.
• Japan is also supporting the 508.17-km Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project based on Shinkansen technology, promoting technology transfer and skill development.
• The Act East Forum, established in 2017, focuses on connectivity, infrastructure and economic development in Northeast India. In science and technology, ISRO–JAXA cooperation covers satellite navigation, space situational awareness and lunar exploration, including the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (Chandrayaan-5).