India, Japan deepen strategic ties with new initiatives on AI and rare earth minerals

India and Japan have announced significant cooperation initiatives following the recently held 18th Strategic Dialogue, with a strong focus on artificial intelligence (AI) and critical minerals, including rare earth elements. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi launched a new AI Dialogue and agreed to set up a joint working group to strengthen collaboration on rare earth minerals.

In a press release, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the Strategic Dialogue saw a comprehensive review of the wide-ranging bilateral relationship. Discussions covered supply chain resilience in critical sectors, investment, trade, technology and innovation, defence cooperation, people-to-people exchanges and cultural linkages. “The ministers underscored the need to further strengthen the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership in line with the outcomes of the 15th Annual Summit held in August 2025 and the recent discussions between the Prime Ministers in Johannesburg,” the MEA said.

What’s the deal?
Building on the Japan-India AI Initiative (JAI) announced earlier by the two Prime Ministers, the ministers formally launched the AI Dialogue to give fresh momentum to bilateral cooperation in the sector. Both sides also agreed to convene a Joint Working Group on Critical Minerals under the Economic Security Initiative, with the objective of advancing collaboration in rare earth elements and other strategically important minerals.

India-Japan partnership
Speaking at the 18th India-Japan Strategic Dialogue, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India attaches the highest importance to its partnership with Japan. He noted that over the past two decades, ties between the two countries have evolved into a broad, comprehensive and strategic relationship.

“India places very great priority on its friendship with Japan. Over the last two decades, we have successfully transformed the relationship from one that was largely economic in nature into a partnership that is broad-based, comprehensive and strategic in its outlook,” Jaishankar said.