India, Japan discuss boosting maritime connectivity
Ambassador of India to Japan, Sibi George, delivered the inaugural remarks at the event, which featured special addresses by Japan's former Defence Minister and MP H.E. Mr. Minoru Kihara, India's Secretary (East) H.E. Mr. P. Kumaran, and H.E. Mr. Shingo Miyamoto, Director General at Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The discussions focused on strengthening India-Japan cooperation on maritime linkages across the Indo-Pacific region.
The Indian Embassy later shared highlights of the event in a post on social media platform X, "Glimpses of a seminar on "IPOI: India-Japan Partnership in Maritime Connectivity" held at the Embassy.
Ambassador @AmbSibiGeorge delivered the inaugural remarks at the event, which also featured special remarks by H.E. Mr. Minoru Kihara, Hon'ble MP & former Defence Minister, H.E. Mr. P. Kumaran, Secretary (East), and H.E. Mr. Shingo Miyamoto, DG, MOFA. Discussions focused on deepening India-Japan cooperation in enhancing maritime connectivity in Indo-Pacific."
https://x.com/IndianEmbTokyo/status/1947647621805576605
On the sidelines of the seminar, Ambassador Sibi George held talks with top Japanese lawmakers. He met H.E. Yasutoshi Nishimura, Member of the House of Representatives, and discussed ways to further strengthen the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
https://x.com/IndianEmbTokyo/status/1947620624681103720
He also received H.E. Minoru Kihara, former Defence Minister of Japan and current MP, for a similar discussion on bilateral cooperation.
https://x.com/IndianEmbTokyo/status/1947828380667416935
Last month, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, met Terada Yoshimichi, Japan's Vice Minister for International Affairs (MLITT), in Oslo. The meeting aimed to expand maritime ties between the two countries, including Japanese investment in Indian shipyards, cooperation in port digitisation, green initiatives, R&D, seafarer employment, and upskilling.
The two sides also discussed Japan's possible collaboration in developing the Andaman & Nicobar Islands and the Lakshadweep Islands into smart, sustainable, and disaster-resilient islands. Sonowal said Japan's expertise in this area could help in deploying renewable energy, smart mobility, and digital infrastructure.
In April 2025, following the terror attack in Pahalgam, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba also called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to express condolences. Prior to the call, both PM Ishiba and Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya had issued public messages of sympathy.
The India-Japan partnership has seen regular high-level interactions. In October 2024, PM Modi met with Prime Minister Ishiba in Vientiane, Laos, during the ASEAN summit. Both leaders discussed enhanced cooperation in infrastructure, connectivity, defence, and other key areas.
India and Japan continue to maintain strategic engagement through structured dialogues. The 17th Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue was held in New Delhi in August 2024, along with the 3rd round of the 2+2 Ministerial Meeting on the same day, reflecting the countries' commitment to regional peace, maritime security, and shared prosperity.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times of Oman
13 hours ago
- Times of Oman
Kargil Vijay Diwas reminds us of unparalleled courage, valor of brave sons of Mother India: PM Modi
New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday extended greetings on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas and remembered the sacrifices of the jawans, who fought in the Kargil War with courage and valour. PM Modi said that sacrifices made by the jawans will continue to inspire every generation. "Heartfelt greetings to the countrymen on Kargil Vijay Diwas. This occasion reminds us of the unparalleled courage and valour of those brave sons of Mother India who dedicated their lives to protect the nation's pride. Their passion to sacrifice everything for the motherland will continue to inspire every generation," PM Modi posted on X. President Droupadi Murmu on Saturday also extended her greetings on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas. "On the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, I pay my heartfelt tribute to the brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the motherland. This day symbolises the extraordinary valour, courage, and steadfast determination of our jawans. Their dedication and supreme sacrifice for the nation will forever inspire its citizens," the President posted on X. On Friday, families of army personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Kargil War of 1999 gathered at Lamochen Viewpoint in Drass to pay heartfelt tributes to the heroes of the war. The solemn event, organised to honour the bravery and sacrifice of the Indian Armed Forces, saw emotional recollections from family members of fallen soldiers. Rajesh, the brother of a soldier who lost his life at Tiger Hill, recounted the poignant memories left behind in his brother's diary. "My brother lost his life while serving the nation in the line of action at Tiger Hill. When we got news about the war, we wrote a letter to him, but he told us he wasn't involved in the action. After reading his diary, we learned he was in the war and lied to keep us from worrying. He wrote that he felt he wouldn't come down the hill and handed his diary to a friend before going up," Rajesh said. Surekha Shinde, another family member, shared her pride and gratitude while honouring her brother, who served for five years before the Kargil War."My brother had been in service for five years before the war started. I feel proud coming to this place, and I thank the army for this invitation," she said. The gathering at Lamochen Viewpoint served as a poignant reminder of the courage and selflessness displayed by Indian soldiers during the Kargil conflict. Every year on July 26, India commemorates Kargil Vijay Diwas, a day etched in the nation's heart with pride and solemn remembrance. It marks the day in 1999 when India successfully concluded Operation Vijay, reclaiming the strategic heights from Pakistani intruders. The Kargil War is a saga of strong political, military and diplomatic actions. This War will always be remembered for its strategic and tactical surprises, as well as the self-imposed national strategy of restraint in keeping the war limited to the Kargil-Siachen sectors and the swiftly executed tri-services military strategy. The Kargil War lasted for more than 60 days and concluded on July 26, 1999, with a gallant victory for India. Indian armed forces successfully reclaimed the command of the high outposts that were treacherously occupied by Pakistani soldiers during the winter months. According to IAF, Operation Safed Sagar, the Indian Air Force's codename for its air operations during the 1999 Kargil War, was a trailblazer in many ways and proved that air power could decisively alter the course of battle without crossing international boundaries. The operation was launched on May 26, 1999, marking the first large-scale use of air power in Kashmir since 1971 and demonstrating the effectiveness of limited air asset use in a localised conflict.
Times of Oman
13 hours ago
- Times of Oman
India's edge data centre capacity projected to triple to 200-210 MW by 2027: ICRA
New Delhi: India's edge data centre capacity is expected to expand significantly to 200-210 Megawatt (MW) by 2027 from 60-70 MW in 2024, marking a 3x increase, driven by the proliferation of emerging technologies, according to the rating agency ICRA. Edge data centres are smaller, decentralised facilities located closer to end-users and devices. Unlike traditional data centres, which are typically large and centralised, edge data centres enable real-time data processing with minimal latency. Global data centre capacity (including capacity held by cloud operators) is estimated at around 50 Gigawatts (GW) as of December 2024, of which about 10 per cent is dedicated to edge data centres. The US commands over 44 per cent of worldwide edge data centre capacity, followed by Europe, the Middle East and Africa (the EMEA) region at 32 per cent and Asia Pacific (the APAC) region at 24 per cent. India is a relatively new entrant in the edge data centre market. The current edge data centre capacity as a percentage of India's total data centre capacity stands at around 5 per cent. Further, excluding the edge data centre capacity used for captive purposes by one of the large data centre operators, the current edge data centre capacity as a percentage of total capacity is as low as 1 per cent. Giving more insights, Anupama Reddy, Vice President and Co-Group Head, Corporate Ratings, ICRA, said, "Edge data centres differ from traditional data centres in multiple parameters like size, location, scale, time taken to construct, capex cost per MW, distance from end user, etc." "In the Indian context, traditional data centres and edge data centres are complementary pillars of digital infrastructure. With the expanding cloud ecosystem of India, traditional data centres will keep fuelling mass-scale computing, artificial intelligence (AI), and cloud workloads, and edge data centres will facilitate real-time processing and localised services." Reddy said that traditional and edge data centres are expected to operate in the hub-and-spoke model to enhance efficiencies across sectors such as healthcare, banking, agriculture, Defence, and manufacturing, etc. Despite the promising outlook, some of the key challenges for edge data centres include security vulnerabilities due to remote deployments (majorly in tier II and tier III cities), rapid technological changes that risk obsolescence, a shortage of skilled professionals in remote areas, and interoperability issues with traditional data centres. "The rentals for edge data centres are anticipated to be on the higher side compared to traditional data centres, as they will be catering primarily to retail customers against enterprise/hyperscale customers for traditional data centres. Moreover, the relatively higher capex cost per MW for edge data centre compared to a traditional data centre is expected to be compensated by higher rentals. Established DC players and entities like RailTel, Telcom operators are likely to lead the edge data centre expansion in India," Reddy added.
Times of Oman
13 hours ago
- Times of Oman
India, Maldives sign 8 major pacts across finance, digital, fisheries sectors
Male: India and the Maldives on Friday exchanged eight key agreements covering a wide range of sectors, including Line of Credit, debt repayment, fisheries, digital transformation, and Unified Payments Interface (UPI), in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu. "Delighted to exchange eight Agreements related to Line of Credit, debt repayment, FTA, fisheries & aquaculture, digital transformation, pharmacopoeia and UPI in the presence of PM @narendramodi and President @MMuizzu today in Male," External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar posted on X. Confirming the development, the President's Office of the Maldives stated, "President witnesses exchange of key MoUs and agreements between the Maldives and India." The exchange of agreements set the tone for high-level discussions that followed, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Mohamed Muizzu took stock of the implementation of the India-Maldives Joint Vision for a 'Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership', with the Prime Minister reiterating India's commitment to deepening bilateral ties under its "Neighbourhood First" and Vision MAHASAGAR policies. PM Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Maldives, met President Muizzu at the President's Office in Male. President Muizzu appreciated India's commitment of being the First Responder for Maldives when it came to dealing with any crises. The two leaders discussed cooperation in the fields of development partnership, infrastructure support, capacity building, climate action and health. They also called for further strengthening defence and maritime security cooperation and, in this regard, noted the collaboration between the two countries under the Colombo Security Conclave. The two leaders also reviewed the economic partnership between the two countries. Prime Minister underscored that the proposed Free Trade Agreement and the Bilateral Investment Treaty would open new opportunities for both sides. Noting that the two countries must take advantage of the digital economy, especially to promote tourism, he welcomed the recent understandings on UPI adoption, acceptance of RUPAY card and trade in local currencies. The two leaders highlighted that the close development partnership between the countries was adding new value to the already strong people-to-people ties. The two leaders noted that, as Global South partners, they would continue to work on issues such as climate change, promotion of renewable energy, disaster risk reduction and weather science in the interests of the planet and its people. Prime Minister thanked President Muizzu for his strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack, and the solidarity extended to India in the fight against terrorism. The two leaders witnessed exchange of six MOUs in the fields of fisheries and aquaculture, meteorology, digital public infrastructure, UPI, Indian pharmacopoeia and concessional Line of Credit. The new Line of Credit offers Rupees 4850 crores [ approx USD 550 million] in support of infrastructure development and other activities in Maldives. An Amendatory Agreement for the existing LoCs was also exchanged. It reduces Maldives's annual debt repayment obligations by 40% [from USD 51 million to 29 million]. Both sides also exchanged Terms of Reference of the proposed Free Trade Agreement. The two leaders also virtually inaugurated a roads and drainage system project in Addu city and six High Impact Community Development Projects in other cities. Prime Minister handed over 3,300 social housing units and 72 vehicles for Maldives National Defence Force and Immigration authorities. Prime Minister also handed over two units of Aarogya Maitri Health Cube [BHISHM] sets to the Government of Maldives. With state-of-the-art medical equipment as part of the cube, it can provide medical aid to 200 casualties with in-built support to sustain a crew of six medical personnel for up to 72 hours. In keeping with their deep commitment to conserving nature, the two leaders planted mango saplings as part of India's "Ek Pedh Maa Ke Naam" [Plant for Mother] and Maldives's "Pledge of 5 million Tree Plantation" campaigns. Prime Minister reiterated India's commitment to support Maldives and its people, as per its requirements and priorities, and for the peace, progress and prosperity of the Indian Ocean region. Ahead of the meeting, Prime Minister was received by President Muizzu and accorded a ceremonial welcome at Republic Square. The meeting was marked by warmth and a reaffirmation of the deep-rooted friendship between the two nations. Prime Minister expressed heartfelt appreciation for the gracious hospitality extended to him and his delegation and conveyed his best wishes on the historic occasion of the 60th anniversary of the independence of Maldives as also on the special occasion of the 60th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations. The two leaders reflected on the deep bonds of friendship and trust that have been built over centuries, strengthened by strong people-to-people ties.
