Page 5 - The Indian EYE 090525

COVER STORY SEPTEMBER 05, 2025 | The Indian Eye 5

semiconductors and robotics to green cies. While the U.S. remains a critical
hydrogen and space exploration. partner in technology, defense, and
India and Japan’s relationship diaspora links, the unpredictability of
is not just about economics—it is Washington’s trade policy has under-
about values. Both democracies see scored the need for diversification.
themselves as guardians of an open Modi’s outreach to Japan and
Indo-Pacific, where connectivity, in- China should be read as part of this
novation, and stability must prevail strategy. By cultivating multiple poles
over coercion. The partnership is not of partnership, India reduces vulner-
new—Japan has long supported In- ability to any single country’s protec-
dia’s infrastructure projects, includ- tionist turn. In effect, Trump’s tariffs
ing the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet acted as a wake-up call, accelerating
train—but the current momentum India’s shift toward multi-alignment.
suggests an even deeper alignment. Rather than choosing sides, India is
Space cooperation, symbolized choosing opportunities—whether in
by the LUPEX lunar exploration mis- Tokyo’s boardrooms, Beijing’s sum-
sion between ISRO and JAXA, adds mits, or African marketplaces.
a futuristic dimension. So does the This does not mean India is turn-
emphasis on clean energy and digital ing away from the U.S. Instead, it
innovation. Japan’s technology and means New Delhi is hedging its bets.
India’s scale, Modi argued, can pow- Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives a rousing welcome by Indian community upon his By showing Washington that it has
er not just bilateral ties but also wider other options, India strengthens its
development across the Global South. arrival at a hotel, in Tokyo on Friday (DPR PMO/ANI Photo) bargaining position. At the same time,
This dovetails with India’s ambition to by deepening ties with Japan, China,
position itself as both an investment China, showing that its influence ex- expanding its role in shaping global and the Global South, India positions
hub and a talent powerhouse. tends far beyond South Asia. trade and development narratives. itself as a bridge between developed
Importantly, Japan also pro- The Global South angle also plays and developing economies—a role
vides India a cushion against U.S. well domestically. It allows Modi to TRUMP’S TARIFFS few others can credibly claim.
unpredictability. As Trump’s tariffs portray India not as a passive player
remind New Delhi of Washington’s but as a global agenda-setter—one he backdrop to all these moves THE ROAD AHEAD
transactional tendencies, Tokyo offers that ensures the concerns of the de- is unmistakable: U.S. tariffs un-
consistency and trust. This reliabili- veloping world are not sidelined by Tder President Donald Trump’s ndia’s twin engagements in Tokyo
ty explains why Modi described In- Western or Chinese dominance. In “America First” policy. By targeting and Tianjin highlight a broader
dia-Japan ties as “a golden chapter” the context of Trump’s tariffs, this po- Indian exports—ranging from steel Istrategic trajectory: embracing
in a partnership essential not only for sitioning signals resilience: India is not to textiles—Trump forced New Delhi multipolarity as both a regional neces-
the two nations but for global stability. beholden to one market, but rather is to reassess its economic dependen- sity and a national opportunity. With
Japan, India is co-authoring a tech-
INDIA AND THE GLOBAL SOUTH nology-driven growth story. With Chi-
na, it is managing rivalry through di-
eyond China and Japan, Mo- alogue and multilateral frameworks.
di’s messaging consistently With the Global South, it is projecting
Breturned to one theme: India leadership that aligns with its own de-
as the voice of the Global South. At velopment aspirations. And with the
the India-Japan Economic Forum, he U.S.—despite Trump’s tariffs—India
highlighted how Japan’s capital and continues to nurture defense and di-
technology, paired with India’s market aspora-driven ties while reducing eco-
and manpower, could serve not only nomic overdependence.
their own economies but also Africa, The road ahead will not be with-
Latin America, and Southeast Asia. out turbulence. Border frictions with
This vision resonates with India’s China could flare up, Japan’s own
recent diplomatic activism, from host- domestic politics could influence its
ing the Global South Summit to cham- foreign policy, and Trump—or any
pioning African Union’s membership successor—could bring new waves
in the G20 during its presidency. For of protectionism. But India’s current
New Delhi, projecting itself as the strategy shows resilience: by weaving
natural leader of emerging economies together partnerships across compet-
allows it to carve out influence distinct ing poles, it is constructing a safety net
from both Washington and Beijing. against external shocks.
By pitching India as a spring- For Modi, the message is clear:
board for Japanese businesses into India cannot be a pawn in someone
the Global South, Modi also reframed else’s game. It must be a player in its
India’s role in supply chains. Rather own right, shaping rules rather than
than just a manufacturing hub, India just following them. As Trump’s tar-
is positioning itself as a gateway for iffs inadvertently reminded New Del-
investments, technologies, and ideas hi, dependency is risk. Diversification
flowing toward developing nations. PM Modi addresses the gathering during the India-Japan Business Event in Tokyo on Friday is power. And in the Asian century,
This approach enhances India’s bar- (DPR PMO/ANI Photo) India is determined to be not just a
gaining power with both the U.S. and participant but a protagonist.

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