India and Japan 8th Defence Policy: India and Japan met in Tokyo on 13 July 2026 for the 8th India-Japan Defence Policy Dialogue. The Indian team was led by Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh. The Japanese side was led by Vice Minister of Defence for International Affairs Mr. Kano Koji. Both countries looked at the progress made since the last meeting and said they want to keep building their defence ties even more. They also said again that the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership remains very important.
The two sides also spoke about the security situation in the region and across the world. They shared views on issues that matter to both countries. Their discussion covered many parts of defence work, including military-to-military exchanges, cooperation between joint headquarters, maritime cooperation, defence exercises, capacity building, defence equipment and technology cooperation, maritime technology, and stronger institutional links. Both sides said defence cooperation has been growing well and that regular high-level meetings should continue.
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Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh and Japanese Vice Minister for International Affairs, Ministry of Defense Mr Kano Koji co-chaired the 8th India–Japan Defence Policy Dialogue in Tokyo on July 13, 2026. The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the… pic.twitter.com/oa2d0GgndS
— Ministry of Defence, Government of India (@SpokespersonMoD) July 13, 2026
India and Japan did not stop at old defence links. They also discussed new areas where both countries can work together. These included:
- Defence industrial collaboration
- Technological innovation
- Cyber security
- Space
- Other shared strategic interests
Both sides said they were happy with the way their views are becoming closer on regional and global security matters. They agreed to keep working closely in the Indo-Pacific region.
The two countries again repeated their support for a “free, open and rules-based Indo-Pacific region”. They said this should be based on respect for international law. They also said peace, stability and security in the region must stay a top goal as the world security situation keeps changing.
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The Indian and Japanese delegations also spoke about what may come next in ministerial-level meetings. They discussed possible outcomes and preparations for future visits, including the 2+2 meeting later this year. Both sides said political and defence-level talks should keep moving forward so that strategic cooperation becomes even stronger.
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Before the main dialogue, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh met Japanese Defence Minister Mr. Shinjiro Koizumi and passed on greetings from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. He also gave an invitation from Rajnath Singh to the Japanese Defence Minister to visit India soon.
At the start of the visit he laid a wreath at the Self-Defense Forces Memorial Stone in Tokyo and paid tribute to the Japan Self-Defense Forces members who made the supreme sacrifice in service of their nation. The visit showed the growing trust, respect and defence friendship between India and Japan.
