India and Japan expand strategic AI partnership
The partnership emphasises joint research, talent exchange, and development of multilingual AI models to support innovation and economic growth across the Indo-Pacific region.
India and Japan have agreed to deepen cooperation on AI, linking AI governance, cybersecurity, infrastructure, research and talent development.
In a joint statement, the two countries described AI as a transformative technology with long-term implications for innovation, economic security, governance and the international order.
Both sides are committed to building a safe, secure, trustworthy, inclusive and human-centric AI ecosystem. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific and the Global South.
The statement identifies international AI governance, safety and cybersecurity as priority areas. India and Japan said they would coordinate in forums including the G20, OECD, Global Partnership on AI and the UN, while supporting responsible innovation and risk-based governance.
The two countries also agreed to cooperate on AI-enabled cybersecurity and the security of AI systems, with particular attention to critical infrastructure. They highlighted the need for safeguards to ensure AI supports children’s learning and growth rather than causing harm.
AI infrastructure is another focus. India and Japan will strengthen cooperation on data centres, GPU and other compute resources, semiconductors and trustworthy supply chains across the AI technology stack.
The statement also supports collaboration on multilingual, open-source and domain-specific AI models, including models for native languages and public-interest applications. Several memoranda were signed, including partnerships involving IIT Bombay, BharatGen, Japan’s National Institute of Informatics, Sarvam, Preferred Networks, IndiaAI and Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Both sides also committed to researcher exchanges, industry-academia collaboration and talent mobility. Japan reaffirmed its goal of welcoming 500 highly skilled AI professionals from India by 2030.
Why does it matter?
The joint statement shows how AI cooperation is becoming part of broader economic and security strategies in the Indo-Pacific. India and Japan are not only discussing AI governance, but also the infrastructure and supply chains needed to build and deploy AI systems, including compute, semiconductors, data centres and talent. The focus on multilingual and open-source models also matters for countries seeking AI systems that reflect local languages, public-interest needs and Global South priorities.
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