India and Japan will broaden defense collaboration, including expanding joint training and exercises, to support Indo-Pacific peace and prosperity as the regional landscape becomes “more complex and uncertain rapidly.”
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani met in New Delhi in May 2025 to discuss “the growing importance and necessity of enhancing cooperation,” Japan’s Defense Ministry stated. They highlighted the importance of “protecting sea lines of communication aiming to ensure the security of sea lanes, which is vital for not only Japan and India but also for the region and international community.”
The nations, members of the Quadrilateral partnership with Australia and the United States, are concerned by China’s increasing assertiveness across the region. In the East China Sea, China Coast Guard vessels have encroached in waters around the Japan-administered Senkaku Islands, while a decades-long territorial dispute between Beijing and New Delhi has sparked deadly clashes along their shared border.
Nakatani and Singh discussed the need for synergy in defense initiatives and agreed to establish a framework for coordination and task management, according to Japan’s Defense Ministry. The leaders cited the success of the Dharma Guardian exercise between the Indian Army and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF), most recently conducted in February and March 2025 at the JGSDF’s East Fuji Maneuver Area.
The sixth iteration of the annual drills, which alternate between locations in India and Japan, included urban warfare and counterterrorism operations. “The exercise underscores the shared commitment of India and Japan towards regional security, peace and stability, while advancing their common vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific,” India’s Defence Ministry stated.
The nations, which elevated their ties to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014, also are cooperating in defense equipment and technology initiatives as each bolsters its defense manufacturing base. Projects include uncrewed ground vehicles and robotics, as well as Japan’s planned transfer to India of stealth antenna systems for naval vessels.
“Both sides agreed to enhance industry cooperation, including exploring collaboration in niche domains such as automation and artificial intelligence,” India’s Defence Ministry stated. “The two ministers also decided to take forward the cooperation in emerging areas like cyber and space.”
The meeting came two weeks after terrorists killed 26 people at a tourist resort in India-administered Kashmir, a Himalayan region claimed by India and Pakistan. Nakatani extended Japan’s condolences and support to India.
“Both sides condemned terrorism in all forms and emphasised the need for enhanced collaboration and joint efforts to counter cross-border threats,” Singh said in a social media post.
