India And Japan Agree to Deepen Maritime Relations | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
News Today Logo

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.

Significance of India-Japan Maritime Cooperation

  • 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’.
  • Tags :
  • Maritime India Vision 2030
  • India-Japan
  • Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision
  • Smart Islands
  • NMHC
Watch News Today
Subscribe for Premium Features