Correspondent
Tokyo: Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama remarked that the “India-Japan relationship has the potential to become the most important relationship in the world” during her keynote address at the annual Rising India Conclave in Tokyo on Thursday. Speaking at the conclave, organized by the Connect India Japan Foundation, Katayama called for enhanced cooperation between partners who share common values to navigate a world currently at a “major turning point”. This strategic push for a deeper alliance comes as both nations seek to provide a more stable and predictable global era amidst rising geopolitical tensions, trade uncertainty, and the challenges of climate change.
Dr. Tomohiko Taniguchi former Special Advisor to Japan’s late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe asserted the influence of Swami Vivekananda, the Indian spiritual philosopher and recalled his most memorable Chicago speech at the Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893.
The scale of this partnership was underscored by Toshihiro Suzuki, CEO of Suzuki Motor Corporation, who revealed that Maruti-Suzuki achieved a record-high production of 2.35 million units in FY 2025—a volume rivalled only by global giants like Toyota and BYD. Embracing India’s “Make in India, Make for the World” vision, Suzuki exported a record 448,000 units to markets across Africa and the Middle East. The company, which already touches the lives of 400 million Indians, is now focusing its strategy on the “next billion” people entering the next stage of India’s development.
India’s Ambassador to Tokyo, Nagma Mohamed Mallick, highlighted that Japan is currently the fifth largest investor in India, with $45 billion invested over the last quarter-century. The profitability of this venture is clear: 76 percent of Japanese companies in India are reporting rising profits. Today, over 1,500 Japanese companies operate more than 5,200 establishments across the subcontinent.
Speaking at the conclave, Former Environment Minister Keiichiro Asao pointed to the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM), where Japanese-financed technology helps reduce emissions in India, with the benefits shared between both nations. Looking toward the future, Asao proposed collaboration on artificial photosynthesis to convert CO2 into ethanol, aiming to bring this fuel to market by 2040.
As Akiko Okumura of JETRO noted, India has become Japan’s “most compelling economic partner,” with over 80 percent of Japanese firms planning further expansion. As India marches toward its “Viksit Bharat” goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047, the consensus in Tokyo is clear: Japan is not just a witness to this journey, but a primary partner in building a more stable and predictable global era.
[ TheNewsSite.In is Knowledge Partner of Rising Sun Conclave, the India venture of Rising India Conclave. ]
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