Modi in Tokyo: Naval Cooperation, Energy Security and the Next Leap in India–Japan Ties

By Sanjeev Oak

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tokyo is more than diplomatic formalities—it signals a strategic realignment. With Japan led by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, India is deepening ties in maritime defence, energy security, and Quad collaboration, charting a stronger Indo-Pacific role.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands in Tokyo this week, the spotlight will inevitably fall on defence cooperation and naval security. Yet the visit is much more than another bilateral summit. It comes at a time when India and Japan are seeking to stitch together the strands of trade, technology, and trust into a larger Asian strategy that balances China’s rise, deepens energy resilience, and anchors the Quad as more than just a talking shop.

“Defence dialogues grab headlines, but the real story is how India and Japan are quietly weaving a fabric of resilience — economic, energy and strategic.”

This moment offers a chance to take stock of how far New Delhi and Tokyo have come — and how much further they can go.

Defence at the Core: Naval Horizons

The most visible highlight will be naval cooperation. Both countries have steadily expanded maritime dialogues, ship visits, and exercises like JIMEX (Japan–India Maritime Exercise). The commissioning of India’s new indigenous warships, such as INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, underscores New Delhi’s focus on building credible deterrence at sea. Tokyo sees in India not only a partner to safeguard sea lanes but also a counterweight to Beijing’s assertiveness in the East and South China Seas.

Japan’s decision to reinterpret its pacifist constitution over the last decade has allowed closer security ties. From the sale of defence equipment to cooperation on unmanned systems, the trajectory is unmistakably upward.

“India is no longer a marginal naval partner. It is central to Japan’s vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

For New Delhi, access to Japanese maritime technology and joint exercises with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force deepen interoperability, crucial if regional crises escalate.

The Quad Factor

The Modi–Kishida engagement cannot be separated from the Quad. While critics deride the grouping as “all talk and no teeth,” its value lies in building habits of cooperation. India’s partnership with Japan adds ballast to the Quad’s credibility.

Japan, unlike Australia or the US, shares a rare complementarity with India: two Asian democracies balancing China, both wary of entrapment in Western strategic agendas, yet committed to maintaining open sea lanes.

“The Quad may not be a military alliance, but its power lies in quiet coordination. India and Japan are its Asian spine.”

Cybersecurity initiatives, semiconductor supply chains, and joint disaster relief frameworks have emerged as the softer but vital face of Quad collaboration. Modi’s visit is expected to push these themes while underscoring that India–Japan bilateral ties remain the real engine behind Quad cooperation.

Energy Security: A Silent but Critical Agenda

Behind the headlines on defence, energy will dominate closed-door discussions. Japan remains India’s fourth-largest LNG supplier and a crucial partner in civil nuclear energy. The 2016 India–Japan civil nuclear agreement was a breakthrough that allowed Japanese firms to collaborate in India’s nuclear power projects — a major step given Tokyo’s strict non-proliferation standards.

As India’s energy appetite grows, cooperation on hydrogen, offshore wind, and energy storage is set to expand. Japan’s expertise in clean energy dovetails with India’s massive solar and hydrogen missions. Both see energy security not only as an economic imperative but as a hedge against global volatility, from Middle Eastern disruptions to the weaponisation of Russian oil and gas exports.

“For New Delhi, energy resilience is national security. For Tokyo, India is a test-bed for the clean energy technologies it wants to globalise.”

Historical Breakthroughs: Lessons from the Past

India–Japan relations have often advanced through bold breakthroughs.

• 2000: PM Yoshiro Mori’s visit to India marked the first attempt to reimagine ties beyond trade.
• 2007: PM Shinzo Abe’s speech in the Indian Parliament framed the “Confluence of the Two Seas,” laying intellectual foundations for the Indo-Pacific strategy.
• 2014 onwards: Modi and Abe’s personal chemistry drove landmark deals, from the Shinkansen bullet train project to defence equipment transfers.
• 2016: The nuclear pact — a diplomatic coup that few thought possible, given Japan’s post-Fukushima sensitivities.

Each breakthrough has redefined the trajectory of ties. The challenge now is to create the next one — perhaps a deep Indo-Japanese collaboration in defence manufacturing or critical mineral supply chains.

Economic Convergence and Infrastructure

Japan is already India’s biggest source of development finance. The Mumbai–Ahmedabad high-speed rail project, though delayed, symbolises Tokyo’s willingness to bet big on India’s infrastructure. Japan’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) has been pivotal in building metro systems, freight corridors, and industrial townships.

But the new frontier lies in semiconductors, digital connectivity, and resilient supply chains. India’s semiconductor mission has already signed partnerships with Japanese firms, and cooperation on rare earths could reduce dependence on China.

“Just as the bullet train was a symbol of speed, semiconductor partnerships may become the symbol of resilience.”

Strategic Balancing in Asia

China looms over every India–Japan conversation. But unlike crude containment strategies, New Delhi and Tokyo prefer a subtler balance: building capacity, ensuring presence in critical sea lanes, and diversifying supply chains.

This is why naval dialogues matter. But equally, energy cooperation, digital trust, and infrastructure partnerships are tools of strategic balancing. They help shape an Asia where rules, not coercion, define power.

For Modi, this visit is also about reassurance: that India remains committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific, even as it navigates tensions with Washington and Moscow. For Kishida, it is about signalling that Japan has reliable partners as it recalibrates its security posture.

The Road Ahead: From Symbolism to Substance

The test of the visit will not be in joint statements or ceremonial optics. It will be in whether the two sides can set new benchmarks. Possible breakthroughs include:

• Expanding defence production cooperation, with Japanese investment in Indian shipyards or aerospace.
• Launching a hydrogen corridor linking India’s production potential with Japan’s consumption needs.
• A new framework on digital and cyber resilience, crucial amid AI-driven disruptions.
• Clearer commitments on Quad projects, from vaccine distribution to maritime surveillance.

If even one of these materialises, it could mark the “next nuclear pact moment” in ties.

Quiet Power, Lasting Impact

Prime Minister Modi’s Japan visit is not just about naval exercises or summits. It is about aligning two Asian democracies to navigate a turbulent world. Defence cooperation will make the headlines, but the deeper story is of energy resilience, economic convergence, and a quiet strategic revolution.

“India and Japan are not just reacting to crises — they are writing the rules of Asian stability.”

If New Delhi and Tokyo can turn symbolism into substance, this visit may be remembered not as another diplomatic stopover, but as the moment India and Japan cemented their role as the twin anchors of a free and open Indo-Pacific.