Japan and India Step Up Collaboration on Economic Security and AI
Japan and India have agreed to tighten coordination on economic security and artificial intelligence, building on understandings reached at last August's bilateral summit. The agreement was reaffirmed in New Delhi during a strategic dialogue between Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
Both sides reiterated their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and continued cooperation under the Quad, alongside the United States and Australia.
What's on the table
- Supply chain resilience: A dedicated dialogue will be established by March to identify risks and practical cooperation areas.
- Near-term coordination: A vice-ministerial meeting is planned to define concrete steps and timelines.
- AI governance and collaboration: A strategic dialogue on AI will be set up, bringing together the relevant government officials from both countries.
- Regional alignment: Continued coordination under the Quad framework to support stability and standards across the Indo-Pacific.
Why this matters for government leaders
For agencies responsible for trade, industry, digital policy, and national security, this creates a window to align programs with a partner government at scale. Expect working groups to look at risk mapping, data flows, standards, trusted vendors, and safeguards for AI adoption in public services and critical infrastructure.
The supply chain track suggests focus on visibility, diversification, and crisis response protocols. The AI track points to policy coordination on safety, procurement, workforce skills, and interoperability.
How to prepare (practical steps)
- Nominate points of contact for the upcoming supply chain and AI dialogues; define a rapid brief-back process across ministries.
- Update your agency's supplier and dependency map for critical goods and systems; flag single points of failure and potential partner substitutions.
- Prepare short memos on export controls, data protection, cybersecurity baselines, and AI risk management guidelines that can be shared with counterparts.
- Identify 2-3 pilot areas for Japan-India cooperation (e.g., secure digital identity, public sector AI procurement standards, emergency logistics).
- Line up training for staff who will engage in the AI dialogue to ensure shared terminology and policy literacy.
Timeline and next steps
- By March: Launch of the bilateral supply chain dialogue.
- Near term: Vice-ministerial meeting to set deliverables and timelines.
- AI: Establishment of a government-to-government strategic dialogue involving the relevant officials.
Agencies should prepare briefing packs now: objectives, current programs, constraints, and proposed areas for joint work.
Context: Quad and Indo-Pacific cooperation
The cooperation sits within the broader Quad framework with the United States and Australia, reinforcing shared standards and crisis coordination across the Indo-Pacific. For background on the Quad's objectives, see the U.S. State Department's overview here.
Resource for AI skills development
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Bottom line: the agenda is set, the timeline is short, and the opportunity for practical, government-to-government cooperation is real. Get your priorities organized and ready to plug into the dialogues as they open.
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