India and Japan sign AI and quantum agreements in push to deepen technology ties

India and Japan have formalised new areas of bilateral cooperation in health research, quantum science and artificial intelligence, following a high-level meeting in New Delhi.

Japan’s Minister for Science and Technology Policy, Onoda Kimi, led a delegation to meet India’s Union Minister for Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh, with both sides exchanging formal agreements covering medical devices and quantum technology.

The two countries signed a Memorandum of Cooperation in health and medical devices between the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, the Indian Council of Medical Research and India’s Department of Science and Technology. A Letter of Intent on quantum science and technology cooperation was also concluded between Japan’s Cabinet Office and the Department of Science and Technology.

Speaking at the meeting, Dr Singh said the two countries shared complementary strengths, with Japan offering advanced technological capabilities and India contributing a large pool of skilled human resources. He pointed to India’s national missions in quantum technologies, cyber-physical systems, electric mobility, clean energy and advanced computing as platforms for joint research and co-development.

Minister Onoda acknowledged India’s economic trajectory and its adoption of artificial intelligence across sectors, and noted the resilience and innovation culture she observed at Indian academic institutions.

Both delegations discussed cooperation under India’s National Quantum Mission, covering quantum computing, communication, sensing and secure networks. Japan outlined its quantum innovation hubs and indicated interest in linking them with Indian institutions.

The meeting built on outcomes from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan in August 2025, where both governments had agreed to expand the India-Japan Science, Technology and Innovation Partnership. Discussions also covered researcher mobility programmes, joint innovation platforms and industry internships for Indian researchers in Japan.