India And Japan Agree to Deepen Maritime Relations

Posted 03 Jun 2025

2 min read

India and Japan agreed to deepen maritime relations for a sustainable, mutually beneficial future.

Key Areas of Maritime Cooperation

Smart Islands: Andaman Nicobar Islands and Lakswadeep islands to be converted into ‘Smart Islands’ through:
- sustainable technologies (renewable energy, smart mobility),
- disaster-resilient infrastructure, and
- digital connectivity, etc.
Maritime collaboration and Investment: India can benefit from expertise of Japanese shipbuilding, co-development of ports and maritime industrial clusters.
- India aims to scale up investments with Japan, targeting more than ₹3 lakh crore by 2027.
- India also plans a Greenfield investment of Imabari Shipbuilding in Andhra Pradesh.
Maritime Heritage and Cultural Cooperation: India sought Japan’s cooperation for developing the proposed National Maritime Heritage Museum (NMHC) at Lothal in Gujarat.
- NMHC aims to showcase India’s rich maritime history and legacy and serves as a world-class centre for heritage tourism, education, and research in the maritime sector.
Upskilling human resources: India’s ~154,000 trained seafarers may supplement Japan’s maritime workforce.

Vital for Trade and Energy Security: Energy deficit, India and Japan rely heavily on maritime trade (97% of India’s international trade and almost all of Japan’s trade is sea-based).
Strategic Check on China: Both countries are concerned about China’s growing assertiveness in the Indian Ocean.
Boosting Regional Cooperation: Their cooperation also strengthens regional frameworks such
- Quad
- Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI)
- Asia-Africa Growth Corridor (AAGC)
- International Solar Alliance (ISA)
- Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)
- Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT)
Supporting India's Strategic Vision: Japan can play a key role in advancing India’s Act East Policy and ‘Maritime India Vision 2030’ and ‘Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047’.