Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has reflected on his four-day official visit to Japan, describing it as "highly productive" and a turning point in the India-Japan economic partnership. 

He visited three major Japanese cities between 24 and 27 August, leading a nearly 200-member business delegation, and emphasised the growing collaboration in emerging sectors such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence, clean energy and robotics.

In a detailed Substack post, Goyal explained that the longstanding friendship between India and Japan was evolving. For decades, the relationship had been built on a familiar model of Japanese capital and technology combined with India's market and talent pool.

He cited examples such as Suzuki, Honda, the Delhi Metro and the Dedicated Freight Corridor as valuable contributions. However, he stressed that this template was now too limited for the scale of cooperation both countries required.

He noted that discussions during his visit extended beyond manufacturing to broader issues of economic security and strategic cooperation. He highlighted resilient supply chains, semiconductors, artificial intelligence, clean energy, defence-linked manufacturing, space and robotics for ageing societies as key areas of focus. These sectors form the foundation of what both countries are calling the India-Japan Next Generation Economic Partnership, which he insisted was more than just a slogan.

Goyal recalled the investment target set during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Japan in 2025, where both countries agreed on JPY 10 trillion in Japanese private investment in India over the next decade. He said that every effort during his recent visit was directed towards achieving this ambitious goal.

Speaking to ANI at the conclusion of his trip, Goyal reported strong excitement among Japanese businesses. He highlighted the participation of more than 200 industry representatives from India and abroad, who engaged in extensive business-to-business interactions. He stressed that these engagements were already translating into tangible investment opportunities.

As an example, he mentioned a robotics company he had met in Tokyo on Monday, which by Thursday in Osaka had already identified an Indian partner for investment and manufacturing robots in India. He said this demonstrated that results were beginning to emerge quickly, with significant potential visible across sectors.

Goyal emphasised that the possibilities arising from India-Japan economic engagement were limitless. He underlined the need to shape India's industrial future through these partnerships, moving beyond traditional trade towards investment, technology and manufacturing collaborations.

The visit coincided with the designation of 2026 as the "India-Japan Year of Shared Horizons," marking 75 years of diplomatic relations. Goyal said the strong response from Japanese businesses and the early progress in areas such as robotics showed the potential for the partnership to expand into new domains of strategic and economic cooperation.

The Minister concluded that the trip was not only about discussions but also about concrete outcomes, with early investments already taking shape. He described the visit as a significant step in advancing the India-Japan partnership into a new era of collaboration, innovation and shared growth.

ANI