India and Japan have held their first-ever Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategic Dialogue in Mumbai, signalling a stronger push to align policy, talent and industry in a long-term technology partnership.

The meeting was co-chaired by Amit A Shukla, Joint Secretary (Cyber Diplomacy) at the Ministry of External Affairs, and Hanada Takahiro, Deputy Assistant Minister for Cyber Security at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Officials discussed expanding cooperation across the full artificial intelligence stack, covering software, hardware and industrial applications.

The dialogue follows the India-Japan AI Cooperation Initiative announced by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Fumio Kishida during their 2025 summit. The initiative identifies AI as a central pillar of bilateral ties over the next decade.

According to the MEA, both sides stressed the need for policy convergence to ensure compatibility in regulatory frameworks, enabling cross-border innovation and deployment. “Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to jointly navigate the challenges and opportunities over the next decade… to bring our countries and peoples of the next generation closer together than ever before,” the statement said.

Discussions moved beyond software collaboration to include industrial use cases, with a focus on building a “robust, innovative and trustworthy AI ecosystem”. Areas of cooperation include joint research, academic exchanges and collaborative projects, as well as improving international mobility for AI professionals.

The dialogue also addressed coordination in global AI governance, including policy formulation and engagement in multilateral forums. Officials indicated that combining India’s scale and digital infrastructure with Japan’s industrial precision could help shape global standards for human-centric AI.

Both countries have committed to expanding cooperation through sustained engagement, positioning the partnership as a key driver of innovation and economic growth in the coming decade.