India's plans to buy ShinMaywa search and rescue amphibious aircraft remains on the agenda

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Japan on October 28 and 29 to attend the annual bilateral summit with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The visit is being billed as “a working visit”, and the two sides are expected to discuss several agreements on enhancing defence and trade cooperation and hold talks on the “Indo-Pacific” region.

“Prime Minister Modi’s visit will reaffirm the traditional bonds of friendship between the two countries and strengthen their multifaceted cooperation. It will also advance the vision of India and Japan working together to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond,” a statement by the External Ministry Affairs said, indicating talks on synergising India’s “Act East Policy” with Mr. Abe’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy”.

Ahead of the visit, Japan’s National Security Advisor Shotaro Yachi visited India and met National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and Japan’s Ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu met last week to discuss Japanese investments in developing the northeastern States.

During the visit, the Prime Ministers are expected to focus on the early completion of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train railway line using Japanese ‘Shikansen’ technology, and funded by loans from Japan.

A deal for India to buy Japan’s ShinMaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft for search and rescue operations remains on the agenda, as it has been since 2014, but has not made headway yet.