Prime Minister Narendra Modi will depart from New Delhi late on August 28 for a two-day official visit to Japan, where he is set to participate in the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit with his Japanese counterpart, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, on August 29–30.
“This marks Prime Minister Modi’s first standalone visit to Japan in nearly seven years, the last being in 2018, and his first annual summit with Prime Minister Ishiba,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said during a briefing in New Delhi. He underlined that the trip will focus entirely on advancing bilateral cooperation. Since assuming office in 2014, this will be Modi’s eighth visit to Japan.
Misri noted that the annual summit represents the highest-level dialogue framework between the two nations and steers the agenda of their special strategic and global partnership. Modi last met Ishiba in June 2025 on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada.
What’s on The Agenda?
The two leaders are expected to review progress in areas such as trade, investment, defence, security, and science and technology, while also addressing regional and global challenges. According to Misri, the summit will provide “an opportunity to launch fresh initiatives to strengthen resilience in the relationship and address emerging opportunities and challenges.”
Focus on Quad and Indo-Pacific Security
The discussions will also cover the role of the Quad grouping comprising India, Japan, the United States, and Australia particularly on enhancing peace and security in the Indo-Pacific. Modi is expected to join a business leaders’ forum with Indian and Japanese industry representatives as well.
The talks come at a delicate moment, following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to impose tariffs of up to 50 percent on Indian imports, a move linked to New Delhi’s oil trade with Russia and agricultural policies. The tariffs have added uncertainty to India’s hosting of the next Quad summit, scheduled later this year, though Misri confirmed discussions with Washington remain ongoing.
Technology, Semiconductors, and Bullet Trains
During his trip, Modi and Ishiba will visit Tokyo Electron Factory in Akasaka, a flagship Japanese semiconductor company. On August 30, they will also travel to Miyagi Prefecture to tour the Tohoku Shinkansen facility in Sendai. Both sides are expected to finalize an agreement allowing the transfer of Japanese E-10 coaches for India’s Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project, commonly known as the bullet train, by 2030.
Ahead of the visit, Modi also took part in the launch of electric vehicle production by Suzuki Motor in Gujarat on August 26, where the company announced a new investment of around $8 billion in India.
Following his engagements in Japan, the Prime Minister is scheduled to travel to Tianjin, China, to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, marking his first visit to China in over seven years.
(With inputs from agencies)
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