Archive · 9 Oct 2026
India and Japan Urged to Deepen Indo-Pacific Cooperation
Experts met in New Delhi to talk about how India and Japan can work together.
They said safe sea routes matter because both countries depend on trade.
Tomohiko Taniguchi explained that former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe saw India as an especially good partner.
Sanjay Kumar Verma said India’s plans for working with nearby regions have grown to include trade, technology, connections and the environment.
He also said the Quad, made up of India, Japan, the United States and Australia, should help with supplies and economic issues, not just security at sea.
The speakers discussed dangers to ships in places such as the Red Sea and the Strait of Hormuz.
Taniguchi warned that China’s ambitions regarding Taiwan could make Japan’s strategic position more difficult.
Experts at the NDTV Indo-Japan Summit urged India and Japan to work together to safeguard trade routes and support regional peace.
Former adviser Tomohiko Taniguchi said Shinzo Abe viewed India as a strong partner and sought to expand Japan’s strategic partnerships as China’s military power grew.
Former ambassador Sanjay Kumar Verma described India’s regional approach as evolving from Act East to SAGAR, the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative and MAHASAGAR.
Verma said the Quad should address trade, supply chains and economic growth as well as maritime security.
The speakers discussed threats to shipping routes, collective responses to violations of international rules, and risks Japan could face over China’s ambitions regarding Taiwan.
- Who
- Tomohiko Taniguchi, former adviser to Shinzo Abe, and Sanjay Kumar Verma, former Indian ambassador to Japan.
- What
- They discussed India-Japan cooperation, the Quad, trade routes, and regional security.
- When
- At the NDTV Indo-Japan Summit; no date is specified.
- Where
- New Delhi, India.
- Why
- The discussion addressed regional tensions, growing Chinese power, and the need to protect trade routes and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
Broader regional cooperation
Risks and strategic concerns
The Quad’s role
Broader regional cooperation
Verma said the Quad should address trade, supply chains, economic growth and access to important minerals, as well as maritime security.
Risks and strategic concerns
Taniguchi discussed Abe’s vision of a four-country democratic security partnership focused on protecting shared interests across the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Response to violations of international rules
Broader regional cooperation
Verma called for united collective action to safeguard the rules-based order and said countries must consider how to respond to continued violations.
Risks and strategic concerns
The discussion also highlighted that unsafe shipping routes could harm trade-dependent countries, including India and Japan.
- Event
- NDTV Indo-Japan Summit
- Discussion title
- From Friendship to Future
- Speakers
- Tomohiko Taniguchi and Sanjay Kumar Verma
- Quad members
- India, Japan, the United States and Australia
- Indian regional initiatives mentioned
- Act East, SAGAR, the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) and MAHASAGAR
- Shipping routes mentioned
- The Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea
- Abe's 2007 speech
- He spoke to the Indian Parliament about the connection between the Indian and Pacific Oceans.