Tokyo, May 19: India and Japan on Monday discussed expanding people-to-people exchanges and strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including human resource development and economic security.
The discussions took place during a meeting between India’s Ambassador to Japan, Nagma Mallick, and Japan’s Justice Minister Hiroshi Hiraguchi.
According to the Indian Embassy in Japan, both sides explored ways to deepen bilateral engagement and reviewed progress under the India-Japan Action Plan on Human Resource Exchange and Cooperation.
The engagement comes amid growing India-Japan collaboration across strategic and economic sectors.
Earlier this month, India and Japan held the second round of the Economic Security Dialogue in New Delhi, where both countries agreed to deepen cooperation in strategic industries aimed at strengthening supply chain resilience.
The dialogue was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Japan’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Takehiro Funakoshi and Vice Minister for International Affairs at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, Takehiko Matsuo.
During the talks, both sides exchanged assessments of emerging economic security challenges, including economic coercion, non-market practices and global overcapacity, while outlining their respective policy approaches.
Officials also reviewed recommendations emerging from the Japan-India Private Sector Economic Security Dialogue, with discussions centred on five priority sectors identified in the India-Japan Joint Statement issued last year.
These sectors include semiconductors, critical minerals, information and communication technology, clean energy and pharmaceuticals.
According to Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both countries agreed to advance concrete cooperation in these sectors while incorporating industry feedback and private sector priorities.
India and Japan additionally held the Foreign Vice-Ministers’ Dialogue, where they exchanged views on regional developments in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East, including the evolving situation in Iran.
Recognising the impact of geopolitical instability on global markets, the two sides agreed to cooperate on energy and resource security and work toward strengthening resilient supply chains for critical goods.
Japan’s Foreign Ministry said both countries reaffirmed their commitment to advancing the “Japan-India Joint Vision for the Next Decade” announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan last year.
The framework aims to accelerate bilateral cooperation in investment, innovation and economic security through stronger public-private collaboration.
