NEW DELHI: India and Japan on Friday unveiled a set of new initiatives aimed at deepening cooperation in critical minerals, artificial intelligence (AI) and defence, signalling a renewed push to strengthen economic and strategic security amid growing global uncertainty. The measures were announced during a strategic dialogue between external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and Japanese foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi, which focused on building resilient supply chains, advancing technological collaboration, and enhancing defence ties.

At the heart of the discussions was a shared concern over geoeconomic headwinds, including supply chain disruptions, resource vulnerabilities, and the growing weaponisation of trade and technology. Officials said the two sides agreed that closer coordination between India and Japan — both major democracies and key Indo-Pacific partners — is essential to navigate these challenges.

Under a new bilateral economic security initiative, India and Japan will first facilitate a dialogue between private sector stakeholders from both countries to identify challenges and opportunities related to critical minerals and energy. This industry-led engagement will be followed by a formal economic security dialogue, to be co-led by India’s foreign secretary and a Japanese vice minister, scheduled for the first half of 2026. The aim is to enhance coordination between governments and industry to reduce vulnerabilities in strategically important sectors.

In another significant step, the two countries agreed to convene a joint working group on critical minerals in early 2026. This mechanism will focus on cooperation in rare earth elements and other minerals vital for clean energy technologies, electronics, electric vehicles, and advanced manufacturing. Officials described the initiative as particularly important at a time when global supply chains for rare earths are heavily concentrated and increasingly subject to geopolitical risks.

Alongside minerals and energy, India and Japan also launched a new AI Dialogue, to be led by officials from their respective foreign ministries. This platform is intended to give a structured and coherent push to bilateral engagement in artificial intelligence, covering areas such as governance frameworks, ethical use, innovation, and potential applications in economic and security domains. Officials said this is the first time the two sides have set up a dedicated dialogue on AI, reflecting the technology’s growing strategic importance.

Speaking at the meeting, Jaishankar underlined the centrality of Japan in India’s foreign policy and economic strategy. “India attaches very great priority to its economic and strategic ties with Japan, and to working jointly in international forums such as the Quad, the G4 and the G20,” he said.

Describing India and Japan as “leading democracies” and “major economies of the world,” Jaishankar said the two countries not only have an opportunity but also an obligation to shape the evolving global order. “In the current uncertain global situation, it’s even more important that we work closely towards shared strategic goals,” he added.

Without directly referring to recent disruptions caused by US tariff policies or other trade tensions, Jaishankar stressed that economic security and de-risking have become central concerns for both New Delhi and Tokyo. “We attach enormous importance to economic security,” he said, adding that discussions would cover resilient supply chains, critical minerals, energy security, health security and maritime security.

The strategic dialogue also covered a broad range of other areas, including investment, trade, innovation, defence cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. Japanese foreign ministry spokesperson Toshihiro Kitamura, briefing the media after the talks, said defence cooperation figured prominently in the discussions and highlighted a key ongoing project between the two countries.

Kitamura described Japan’s decision to transfer technology for the Unicorn (Unified Complex Radio Antenna) stealth antenna system to the Indian Navy as a flagship defence collaboration. The system is intended for use on Indian warships and is expected to enhance stealth and communication capabilities. He said the project could pave the way for further defence technology cooperation between the two countries, reflecting a growing level of trust and strategic alignment.

The Indo-Pacific region was another major focus of the talks. Kitamura said cooperation under the Quad framework — which brings together India, Japan, the United States and Australia — could help ensure continued US engagement in the Indo-Pacific. In his opening remarks, Jaishankar noted that India’s vision for the Indo-Pacific aligns closely with Japan’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” policy, underscoring the convergence of their strategic outlooks.

Motegi also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his talks with Jaishankar, reinforcing the high-level political support for deepening bilateral ties. According to Kitamura, discussions during the visit also covered Japan’s cooperation with India on developing the country’s northeastern states and progress on the ambitious high-speed railway project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Both sides agreed to accelerate work on the high-speed rail corridor, which is being developed with Japanese assistance. Kitamura said Japan will provide its latest Shinkansen technology for the project, which has faced delays in the past but is now being pushed forward as a symbol of long-term infrastructure cooperation between the two countries.

The latest initiatives come at a time when India and Japan are seeking to diversify supply chains away from overdependence on any single country, particularly in strategic sectors such as semiconductors, critical minerals and advanced technologies. By combining Japan’s technological expertise and capital with India’s market size and manufacturing ambitions, officials believe the partnership can deliver tangible benefits for both economies.

As global competition intensifies over resources, technology and influence, Friday’s announcements signal that New Delhi and Tokyo are intent on moving beyond rhetoric to build concrete mechanisms for cooperation. The focus on critical minerals, AI and defence reflects a shared assessment that economic security and national security are now deeply intertwined — and that trusted partnerships will be key to navigating an increasingly fragmented global order.