Japan-India Relations (Basic Data) 
November 2012
Basic Data
History
Exchange between Japan and India is said to have begun in the 6th century when Buddhism was introduced to Japan. Indian culture, filtered through Buddhism, has had a great impact on Japanese culture, and this is the source of the Japanese people's sense of closeness to India.
After World War II, in 1949, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru donated two Indian elephants to the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. This brought a ray of light into the lives of the Japanese people who still had not recovered from defeat in the war. Japan and India signed a peace treaty and established diplomatic relations on 28th April, 1952. This treaty was one of the first peace treaties Japan signed after the World War II.
Ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have enjoyed cordial relations. In the post World War II period, India's iron ore helped a great deal Japan's recovery from the devastation. Following Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi's visit to India in 1957, Japan started providing yen loans to India in 1958, as the first yen loan aid extended by Japanese government. Since 1986, Japan has become India's largest aid donor, and remains so.
Recent Relations
Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori’s visit to India in August 2000 provided the momentum to strengthen the Japan-India relationship. Mr. Mori and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee decided the establishment of "Global Partnership between Japan and India". Since Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s visit to India in April 2005, Japan-India annual summit meetings have been held in respective capitals. When Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Japan in December 2006, Japan-India relationship was elevated the "Global and Strategic Partnership". Most recently in December 2011, Prime Minister Noda paid a state visit to Delhi and had a summit meeting with Prime Minister Singh. After the meeting, the two Prime Ministers signed a Joint Statement entitled, "Vision for the Enhancement of Japan-India Strategic and Global Partnership upon entering the year of 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations."
High Level Visits
In addition to the annual summit meetings, annual Strategic Dialogue at Foreign Minister-level have been held in respective capitals since 2007. The launch of Ministerial Level Economic Dialogue was agreed during Prime Minister Singh’s visit to Japan in October 2010.
Cooperation in Security Fields
During Prime Minister Singh’s visit to Japan in October 2008, two leaders issued "the Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation between Japan and India". Furthermore, to advance security cooperation based on the Joint Declaration, Action Plan was issued during Prime Minister Hatoyama’s visit to India in December 2009. There are also various frameworks of security dialogue between Japan and India. The Comprehensive Security Dialogue at the level of Joint Secretary / Director General level was set up in 2001 and eight rounds of dialogue have been conducted since then. Annual Subcabinet / Senior Officials 2+2 dialogue, which was agreed to establish in 2009, was held in New Delhi in July 2010.
Maritime Self Defense Force (SDF) joined in the "Malabar 09" which was co-hosted by U.S. and India in April 2009. Defense Minister of India, Mr. Antony visited Japan in November 2011 to hold the Japan-India Defense Ministerial meeting with Mr. Ichikawa, Japanese Defense Minister. During the meeting, the two Ministers decided to carry out bilateral exercise between the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Indian Navy. At the annual summit in December 2011, Prime Minister Noda and Prime Minister Singh affirmed that they would expand cooperation in the area of maritime security, including safety and freedom of navigation.
Between the coast guards, combined exercises on anti-piracy, search & rescue etc. have been conducted since 2000. The both coast guards conducted joint exercise at Chennai in January 2012. Heads of coast guards of both countries visit each other almost every year. The two coast guards exchanged a Memorandum on Cooperation at the occasion of commandant Ishikawa's visit to India in November, 2006.
Economic Relations
The Japan-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) took effect in August 2011, which will eliminate about 94% of the tariffs between Japan and India within 10 years. Negotiation on Japan-India Social Security Agreement was commenced in July 2011. The third round of negotiations was held in February 2012.
India has been the largest recipient of Japanese ODA Loan for the past several years. Delhi Metro is one of the most successful examples of Japanese cooperation through the utilization of ODA. The Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) are two symbolic projects of cooperation between Japan and India. Prime Minister Noda announced the intension of the Government of Japan to make available finance totaling 4.5 billion US dollar in the next five years for DMIC project during his visit to India in December 2011.
Japan-India Trade (Yen: billion)
| Year | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trade from India to Japan | 283 | 352 | 472 | 491 | 544 | 348 | 497 | 543 |
| Trade from Japan to India | 329 | 388 | 518 | 723 | 819 | 591 | 792 | 882 |
Japanese private-sector's interest in India is rising, and, currently, about 872 Japanese companies have branches in India. (The figure doubled over the last 3 years.)
Direct Investment from Japan (Yen: billion)
| Year | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Direct Investment from Japan | 15.0 | 29.8 | 59.7 | 178.2 | 542.9 | 344.3 | 241.1 | 181.4 |
Economic Assistance
- Loan: 480.17 billion yen (FY 2010)
- Grants: 11.58 billion yen (FY 2010)
- Technical Cooperation: 18.55 billion yen (FY 2009)
Overview of Japan's ODA to India (June 2011) [PDF:289KB]
Cultural Relations
Both governments held "Japan-India Exchange Year 2007" both in Japan and in India to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Cultural Agreement.
The year 2012 Marks the 60th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between Japan and India.
Number of Residents
Number of Japanese nationals residing in India: 5,554 (as of October, 2011)
Number of Indian nationals residing in Japan: 21,501 (as of December, 2011)
Bilateral Treaties and Agreements
- Treaty of Peace (1952)
- Agreement for Air Service (1956)
- Cultural Agreement (1957)
- Agreement of Commerce (1958)
- Convention for the Avoidance of Double Taxation (1960)
- Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Science and Technology (1985)
- Japan-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (2011)
VIP Visits
From Japan to India
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1980 | Mr. Ito, Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| 1982 | Mr. Sakurauchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| 1984 | Mr. Nakasone, Prime Minister |
| 1984 | Mr. Abe, Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| 1987 | Mr. Kuranari, Foreign Minister |
| 1990 | Mr. Kaifu, Prime Minister |
| 1990 | Mr. Hashimoto, Minister for Finance |
| 1995 | Mr. Hashimoto, Minister for International Trade and Industry |
| 1997 | Mr. Ikeda, Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| 2000 | Mr. Fukaya, Minister for International Trade and Industry |
| 2000 | Mr. Mori, Prime Minister |
| 2003 | Ms. Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| 2003 | Mr. Ishiba, Minister of State for Defense |
| 2004 | Ms. Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| 2004 | Mr. Nakagawa, Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry |
| 2004 | Mr. Motegi, Minister of State for Information and Technology |
| 2005 | Mr. Tanigaki, Minister for Finance |
| 2005 | Mr. Takenaka, Minister of State for Economic and Fiscal Policy |
| 2005 | Mr. Nakagawa, Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry |
| 2005 | Mr. Ishikawa, Commandant of Coast Guard |
| 2005 | Mr. Koizumi, Prime Minister |
| 2005 | Mr. Aso, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications |
| 2006 | Mr. Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| 2006 | Mr. Tanigaki, Minister for Finance |
| 2006 | Mr. Kitagawa, Minister for Land, Infrastructure and Transport |
| 2006 | Mr. Ishikawa, Commandant of Coasr Guard |
| 2007 | Mr. Suga, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications |
| 2007 | Mr. Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| 2007 | Mr. Amari, Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry |
| 2007 | Mr. Matsuoka, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries |
| 2007 | Mr. Fuyushiba, Minister for Land, Infrastructure and Transport |
| 2007 | Mr. Amari, Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry |
| 2007 | Mr. Abe, Prime Minister |
| 2007 | Ms. Koike, Minister of Defense |
| 2008 | Mr. Nukaga, Minister of Finance |
| 2008 | Mr. Koumura, Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| 2009 | Mr. Ozawa, Minister of the Environment |
| 2009 | Mr. Hatoyama, Prime Minister |
| 2010 | Mr. Haraguchi, Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications |
| 2010 | Mr. Suzuki, Commandant of Coast Guard |
| 2010 | Mr. Naoshima, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry |
| 2010 | Mr. Kitazawa, Minister of Defense |
| 2010 | Mr. Okada, Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| 2011 | Mr. Noda, Prime Minister |
| 2012 | Mr. Edano, Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry |
| 2012 | Mr. Maeda, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism |
| 2012 | Mr. Suzuki, Commandant of Coast Guard |
| 2012 | Mr. Gemba, Minister of Foreign Affairs |
| 2012 | Mr. Edano, Minister for Economy, Trade and Industry | 2012 | Mr. Jimi, State Minister in charge of Financial and Postal Issues |
From India to Japan
| Year | Name |
|---|---|
| 1982 | Ms. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister |
| 1982 | Mr. Rao, Minister for External Affairs |
| 1985 | Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister |
| 1986 | Mr. Tiwali, Minister for External Affairs |
| 1987 | Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister |
| 1987 | Mr. Tiwali, Minister for External Affairs |
| 1988 | Mr. Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister |
| 1988 | Mr. Rao, Minister for Industry |
| 1989 | Mr. Venkataraman, President |
| 1989 | Mr. Rao, Minister for External Affairs |
| 1990 | Mr. Venkataraman, President |
| 1990 | Mr. Ajit Singh, Minister for Industry |
| 1990 | Mr. Nehru, Minister for Commerce and Tourism |
| 1991 | Mr. Sinha, Minister for Finance |
| 1992 | Mr. Rao, Prime Minister |
| 1992 | Mr. Solanki, Minister for External Affairs |
| 1992 | Dr. Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister |
| 1993 | Dr. Manmohan Singh, Finance Minister |
| 1995 | Mr. Narayanan, Vice-President |
| 1995 | Mr. Mukherjee, Minister for External Affairs |
| 1996 | Mr. Chidambaram, Minister for Finance |
| 1998 | Mr. Balayogi, Speaker of the Lok Sabha |
| 1998 | Mr. Bakht, Minister for Industry |
| 1999 | Mr. Jaswant Singh, Minister for External Affairs |
| 2000 | Mr. Fernandes, Minister for Defense |
| 2001 | Mr. Mahajan, Minister for Information Technology |
| 2001 | Mr. Vajpayee, Prime Minister |
| 2002 | Mr. Fernandes, Minister for Defense |
| 2002 | Mr. Shourie, Minister for Disinvestment |
| 2003 | Mr. Jaitley, Minister for Commerce, Industry, Law and Justice |
| 2003 | Mr. Ajit Singh, Minister for Agriculture |
| 2003 | Mr. Mishra, National Security Advisor |
| 2003 | Mr. Shourie, Minister for Information Technology |
| 2004 | Mr. Chatterjee, Speaker of the Lok Sabha |
| 2005 | Mr. Maran, Minister for Communication and Information Technology |
| 2005 | Mr. Nath, Minister for Commerce and Industry |
| 2005 | Mr. Elangovan, Minister for Commerce and Industry |
| 2005 | Mr. Aiyar, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas |
| 2005 | Ms. Chowdhury, Minister for Tourism |
| 2005 | Mr. Singh, Inspector General of Indian Coast Guard |
| 2006 | Mr. Chidambara, Minister for Finance |
| 2006 | Mr. Mukherjee, Minister for Defense |
| 2006 | Mr. Nath, Minister for Commerce and Industry |
| 2006 | Mr. Shinde, Minister for Power |
| 2006 | Mr. Raja, Minister for Environment and Forests |
| 2006 | Mr. Paswan, Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers |
| 2006 | Mr. Sibal, Minister for Science & Technology; Ocean Development |
| 2006 | Mr. Narayanan, National Security Adviser |
| 2006 | Mr. Nath, Minister for Commerce and Industry |
| 2006 | Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister |
| 2007 | Mr. Mukherjee, Minister for External Affairs |
| 2007 | Mr. Vaghela, Minister for Textile |
| 2007 | Mr. Nath, Minister for Commerce and Industry |
| 2007 | Mr. Contractor, Inspector General of Indian Coast Guard |
| 2007 | Mr. Kumar, Minister of State for Industry |
| 2007 | Mr. Soni, Minister of Tourism and Culture |
| 2007 | Mr. Reddy, Minister of Urban Development |
| 2008 | Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister |
| 2008 | Mr. Nath, Minister for Commerce and Industry |
| 2009 | Mr. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor |
| 2009 | Mr. Prasad, Minister of Railways |
| 2009 | Mr. Krishna, Minister for External Affairs |
| 2009 | Mr. Maran, Minister for Textile |
| 2009 | Mr. Narayanan, National Security Adviser |
| 2009 | Mr. Antony, Minister for Defense |
| 2010 | Mr. Nath, Minister of Road Transport & Highways |
| 2010 | Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister |
| 2010 | Mr. Chopra, Inspector General of Indian Coast Guard |
| 2011 | Mr. Bansal, Minister of Parliament Affairs |
| 2011 | Mr. Sharna, Minister of Commerce and Industry |
| 2011 | Ms. Kumar, Speaker of Lower House |
| 2011 | Mr. Krishna, Minister for External Affairs |
| 2011 | Mr. Antony, Minister for Defense |
| 2012 | Mr. Sahai, Minister of Tourism |
| 2012 | Mr. Nath, Minister for Urban Development |
| 2012 | Mr. Shashidhar Reddy, Vice Chairman, National Disaster Management Authority(NDMA) |
| 2012 | Mr. Krishna, Minister of External Affairs |
| 2012 | Mr. Modi, Chief Minister of Gujarat |
| 2012 | Mr. Alagiri, Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers |
(Open a New Window)Back to Index
